Arab delay on peace talks

Arabs said they were delaying a decision on resuming talks with Israel to give more time to discuss with the United States and Russia what they called obstacles to the peace process, Reuter reports from Damascus.

The announcement came after a meeting of foreign ministers from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and the Palestine Liberation Organisation's foreign-affairs chief. Ministers would leave their meeting open to wait for 'results of consultations and contacts going on between the Arab parties and the two sponsors of the conference'. The peace talks are due to resume in Washington on 20 April.