Babar said, 'When finally the talks did take place in Switzerland, they were '
proximity talks,' where Cardovez ridiculously shuttled from room to room because we did not want direct talks.'
"We agree and have been very clear about this that one of the goals of these negotiations, these
proximity talks that one of the goals of these negotiations,
proximity talks, whatever you want to refer to them as, is to create the modalities for this political transition," Toner stated.
"We are going to aim at
proximity talks starting on the 29th and ongoing for six months," De Mistura said.
He added that the "
proximity talks" between the two sides are expected to last six months.
I still do not know whether there will be
proximity talks or direct negotiations.
Picking up from where they left off on Sunday, the leaders engaged in
proximity talks with the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer and Lynn Pascoe, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.
In the meantime, the UN - led Cyprus negotiations will continue between the two leaders and their aides in Nicosia, with more shuttle diplomacy and
proximity talks.
* Secretary of State Clinton announced that the United States would still back the peace process but revert to mediating negotiationsessentially a step back to the "
proximity talks" of several months ago.
After three months of American-mediated
proximity talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has agreed to direct negotiations on a two-state solution -- the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is stubbornly resisting.
The stalled peace process resumed in May after an 18-month hiatus, but only at the level of indirect "
proximity talks", in which Mitchell acts as a shuttling, third-party diplomat.
These
proximity talks allow Mitchell to ensure that each side is making serious offers.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that though the Middle East is "an enormously tense region," the last months have shown "real progress in
proximity talks" between the Israelis and the Palestinians.