Sunday, August 12, 2007

US diplomat downplays Mideast forum




Lantos and Livni



"Tom Lantos, the chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, downplayed expectations on Sunday for a planned Middle East peace conference, saying Washington should not expect to achieve major breakthroughs in the region before US elections next year.....

"We must not exaggerate any expectations with respect to the meeting that will take place in November," Lantos, a California Democrat, told a press conference in Jerusalem during a tour of the Middle East. "While I understand that some people in the administration would like to see great achievements in the next few months, great achievements will not be forthcoming."

While such a conference will be useful, time is too short to expect progress before US presidential elections in November 2008, Lantos said....."

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