Robert Wood, spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, said at a daily press briefing on Thursday, "we are obviously very pleased by the talks between the two parties. And we – obviously, our policy is to support a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation. We will do what we can to support both sides as they go forward in their negotiations. And it;s a good thing and we look forward to seeing more progress."

Asked whether they shared the optimism expressed by Talat, who said specifically that he hoped a deal could be reached by the end of this year after 34 years of deadlock, Wood said, "obviously, we would love to see an agreement reached as soon as possible. Whether that's feasible or not will depend on how much progress the parties make, but definitely, we'd love to see an agreement between the two sides as soon as possible. So we'd be hopeful. That would be – that would be wonderful."


AA