The United States on Wednesday welcomed the talks between Israel and Egypt and Jordan, a signal to push the stalled Middle East peace process.
"We certainly do appreciate and welcome constructive efforts on the part of the Saudis and others in the region," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
"On the other hand, final status negotiations are best left to the Palestinians and the Israelis," Snow said.
On the visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and his Jordanian counterpart Abdul Ilah Khatib to Israel, Snow said, "What we believe in is it's always important to have partners in the region talking about peace and talking about the Quartet principles."
The Middle East quartet groups the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.
Gheit and Khatib held meetings with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem Wednesday, as part of what Israel called a "historic" visit to promote the Arab Peace Initiative.
They called for a positive response from Israel to the initiative, which trades full recognition of Israel by all Arab states in exchange for the Jewish state's withdrawal to pre-1967 boundaries.
Egypt and Jordan, both close friends of the United States in the Middle East, are the only Arab countries that have made peace with Israel.
Source: Xinhua
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