US Middle East peace process coordinator in the region next week

Following separate telephone calls made by US Secretary of State Madeline Albright to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Washington announced on Wednesday that US Middle East peace process coordinator Dennis Ross will arrive in the region on April 24 in a new attempt to eliminate the year-long stalemate on the Palestinian -Israeli peace track.

Spokesman for the US state department James Rubin said Albright decided to delegate Ross following the telephone calls with Netanyahu and Arafat in which she urged them to bridge the gab between their stances. A statement by the State Department said President Clinton and Secretary Albright are sending Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross back to the region to continue to work on the basis of U.S. ideas and to help focus the parties on the decisions that need to be made if a decision is to be reached.

In a statement published by Lebanon's al-Safir, Netanyahu's spokesman said that Ross will arrive in Israel on Monday "to resume talks on means of giving the peace process a push forward." He added, "I'm confident Ross would have not come unless he has the good chance to achieve a genuine progress."

During March Ross' shuttle diplomacy between Arafat and Netanyahu did not meet with success.