U.S. urges Arab states to forge diplomatic ties with Israel

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch on Tuesday urged the Arab countries that have no diplomatic ties with Israel to establish relations with it.

"We would like to see some action taken by Arab countries, which do not have relations with Israel, to establish ties with it," he said, in remarks after his meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. "We would also like to see Israel do the same thing and get closer to Arab states, as peoples on both sides are willing to live in peace."

During their meeting, Welch and Moussa discussed the results of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and ongoing efforts in the peace process.

Welch said the U.S. is "committed to continuously supporting the negotiations, and we hope negotiations are resumed at the nearest possible opportunity."

When asked to comment on recent statements made by Israel's President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, calling for a regional peace initiative, Welch said: "The present peace initiative is useful to deal with it."

"The United States is keen on developing its relations with the world," said Welsh who met earlier with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.

"We are looking forward to the next phase of our joint efforts with regard to the peace process, especially after the formation of the new Israeli government," he said, adding that he discussed many topics with Abul Gheit, including Lebanon, the situation in Iraq and the U.S. security pact.