EU appeals for progress in Mideast talks

Expressing concerns over recent developments in the Middle East peace process talks, the European Union (EU) has appealed all sides for their contribution in facilitating progress in peace process.

The EU has fully supported US peace efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his team. The extensive efforts deployed in recent months must not go to waste, reported Xinhua citing a statement following the EU's foreign affairs meeting Monday.

EU's foreign ministers, however, regretted that greater progress has not been made by the parties to date in the talks during the meeting.

The EU urged the parties to use the coming weeks to find a common ground and political strength needed to resume this process and make the necessary bold decisions.

The US-sponsored direct peace talks started last July but plunged into a crisis late March after the two sides disputed on the pre-scheduled release of the last batch of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel suspended the negotiations April 24 after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party reached a reconciliation agreement with Hamas.