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Albright hails

resumption of

ME talks

SARAJEVO: US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hailed the decision by Israel and the Palestinians on Wednesday to resume peace talks as "hopeful".

"This is obviously a hopeful and positive development," she told a press conference in Sarajevo during a visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"The objective of the talks will be to achieve a framework agreement as soon as possible," Albright said.

Israel and the Palestinians had agreed earlier on Wednesday, despite weeks of acrimonious deadlock, to resume talks in Washington following the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Azha due to end of March 19.

Special US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross announced the resumption in the West Bank following a summit there between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

"The parties made good progress in addressing and resolving many of the interim issues and agreed to intensify their negotiations," Ross said of the Arafat-Barak talks, their second meeting in less than a day.ÑAFP