The Middle East peace conference which just closed in Annapolis, the United States, provided a major boost to efforts to end conflicts in the region, according to Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema.
"This is a real turning point," D'Alema added that the conference was important in part simply because it demonstrated the U.S. renewed commitment to the peace process, Italian News Agency ANSA reported.
The 12-month deadline set by the U.S. President George W. Bush for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to reach a settlement is a "reasonable" amount of time, he continued.
The foreign minister's optimism came against a background of widespread skepticism in the media over Bush's chances of brokering a landmark accord in the last year of his presidency.
Working in favour of the new US-sponsored effort, there was "a clear indication of the questions to be faced," D'Alema said.
Meanwhile, sources in the office of Italian Premier Romano Prodi also expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the summit, underlining the importance of Syria's attendance.
Source: Xinhua
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