Rice holds fresh talks with Israelis over peace process

Washington: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with the Israelis in a bid to keep the restarted peace process moving.

Rice met with Tzipi Livni on Monday during a visit to the US by the Israeli Secretary of State.

The talks come after an announcement that Israel had given the green light to the expansion of a colony in the West Bank, a move which the US has described as “not helpful to the (peace) process.''

After the meeting, Rice said it was important to “do everything possible'' to create a positive atmosphere for things to move forward.

American vice-president Dick Cheney will also visit the Middle East next week as the US diplomatic offensive gathers pace.