DHAKA: After four days of intense diplomacy, US state secretary John Kerry headed home on Monday, insisting progress had been made despite failing to agree a framework to guide Israeli-Palestinian talks.

On his 10th visit to the region as US top diplomat, Kerry spent hours locked in separate meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

He also made a surprise day trip to key Arab allies, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

With the US remaining tight-lipped about the details, little news has filtered out about Kerry’s proposals to bridge the huge gaps between the two sides as they seek to draw up the contours of two states living side by side, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1912 HRS, JAN 06, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor