American Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Tuesday he thinks the U.S.-brokered direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks "are moving in the right direction overall." Mitchell spoke after a three-way U.S.-Palestinian-Israeli meeting in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh that included a surprise second session.
The initial three-way meeting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neyanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton extended nearly two hours - longer than planned.
以色列总理内塔尼亚胡、巴勒斯坦权力机构主席阿巴斯和美国国务卿克林顿共同参加的三方初步会谈比原订时间延长了将近两个小时。
Although he kept to a stated commitment to avoid discussing the substance of the talks, U.S. envoy Mitchell, who spoke for the three parties, hinted at progress.
尽管作为三方代言人的米切尔固守着避免讨论会谈内容的声明，但他还是暗示会谈有所进展。
What was discussed
He said the talks, the second round of a direct dialogue begun earlier this month in Washington, included a serious discussion of several of the core issues of the peace process, and that he believes the talks "are moving in the right direction overall."
米切尔表示，这次会谈是三方这个月初在华盛顿开启直接对话后的第二轮谈判，会谈包括了就和平进程中的一些关键性问题进行的严肃讨论。米切尔说，他相信会谈“总体上正向着正确的方向迈进”。
It was later revealed that the three principals held an unscheduled second meeting Tuesday afternoon at a Sharm el-Sheikh hotel. The dialogue is to continue with another three-way meeting Wednesday in Jerusalem, and Mitchell said the parties agreed to hold working-level talks to, among other things, prepare for the next leadership session.
随后有消息透露，三方于星期二下午在沙姆沙伊赫一家宾馆举行了原本没有在计划中的第二次会面。三方会谈星期三将继续在耶路撒冷进行。米切尔说，各方同意举行工作级别会谈，为一些议程以及下一次的领导人会谈做准备。
Palestinian demands
The talks here convened amid Palestinian threats to walk out of the process if Prime Minister Netanyahu failed to extend the moratorium on most West Bank settlement activity he declared earlier this year and which expires September 26.
此次埃及会谈期间，巴勒斯坦人威胁说，如果内塔尼亚胡无法继续暂停约旦河西岸的大多数定居点建设，他们将退出和平进程。内塔尼亚胡于今年初下达了暂停令，但该指令将在9月26日失效。
Mitchell, under questioning, reaffirmed U.S. support for extending the freeze but said there are also steps the Palestinians should take to advance the dialogue.
受到质疑的米切尔再次重申美国支持延长冻结定居点建设。但他也说，巴勒斯坦人也应该采取一些步骤以推动对话。
"We think it makes sense to extend the moratorium, especially given that the talks are moving in a constructive direction," Mitchell said. "We know that this is a politically sensitive issue in Israel and we have also called on President Abbas to take steps that help encourage and facilitate this process. We believe that both sides have a responsibility to help insure that these talks continue in a constructive manner."
他说：“我们认为，延长暂停令是合理的，特别是目前的会谈正向着建设性的方向发展。我们知道，这在以色列是一个政治敏感话题，我们也已经呼吁阿巴斯主席采取步骤以鼓励和推动和平进程。我们认为，以巴双方都有责任确保和谈向着一个建设性的方向发展。”
Mubarak's contributions
The U.S. envoy paid tribute to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who held bilateral meetings here with all three key participants, for hosting the first round of direct talks in the region in nearly two years.
米切尔还对埃及总统穆巴拉克主持中东地区近两年来的首次直接会谈向他表达敬意。穆巴拉克在埃及与三方关键人士都分别举行了会谈。
The venue will shift to Jerusalem Wednesday to, as a senior U.S. official said, "put the focus on the Israeli-Palestinian channel and to regularize the dialogue."
据美国一名高级官员透露，会谈地点星期三将转到耶路撒冷，会谈重点将是以巴沟通渠道以及定期举行对话的计划。
Mitchell said the goal continues to be a resolution of the decades-long conflict within a year.
米切尔说，谈判的目标仍然是在一年内达成一项解决这个长达数十年冲突的决议。
"President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to agree that these negotiations, whose goal is to resolve all core issues, can be completed within one year," Mitchell said. "As I said recently in Washington, the parties have agreed to begin first on working to achieve a framework agreement for permanent status. That work is now well under way."
他说：“阿巴斯主席和内塔尼亚胡总理都一致同意，那些以解决所有核心问题为目标的谈判，能够在一年内完成。正如我最近在华盛顿所谈到的，各方已经同意开始先试图达成一个有关最终归属问题的框架协议。这个工作目前进展顺利。”
Core issues
The core issues include the borders of a prospective Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, the right of refugees and future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
核心问题包括未来巴勒斯坦国的边界问题，耶路撒冷地位问题，难民权利以及约旦河西岸以色列定居点的未来等问题。
Palestinian officials have been pushing for an early agreement on borders, which U.S. officials say would go a long way toward de-fusing the settlement issue.
巴勒斯坦官员一直在试图尽早达成边界协议，但是美国官员表示愿意花时间解决定居点问题。
Secretary Clinton, after Wednesday's Jerusalem meetings, will meet Mr. Abbas at his Ramallah office Thursday before ending her Middle East trip with a stop in Amman to meet Jordan's King Abdullah.
在星期三耶路撒冷的会面之后，美国国务卿克林顿将于星期四与阿巴斯主席在其拉马拉的办公室进行会面。在结束她的中东之行之前，克林顿将在安曼停留，会见约旦国王阿卜杜拉。
A senior U.S. official said Mitchell would remain in the region and visit Syria shortly, reflecting Obama administration interest in an eventual broader regional peace accord involving Syria and Lebanon.
美国一名高级官员表示，米切尔将继续留在中东地区，并在此后不久访问叙利亚。这反映了奥巴马政府希望最终看到一个包括叙利亚和黎巴嫩在内的更广泛的区域和平协议。 |