US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, along with other officials from the Quartet member countries met in Washington on Monday, a Press TV correspondent reported.

“We will discuss, in-depth, with our colleagues the way forward,” Clinton said prior to the meeting.

In September 2010, the Israeli regime resumed the expansion of settlements in occupied Palestinian territories after a 10-month partial freeze, prompting the PA leaders to break off the US-sponsored talks with Tel Aviv that had started after a lengthy stalemate.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will attempt to obtain recognition of a sovereign state at a UN General Assembly meeting in September. Washington and the Tel Aviv, however, strongly oppose the move.

Currently more than 115 countries are said to have recognized a Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, but the Palestinians hope they would gain the support of up to 150 nations.

If the UN Security Council would recommend statehood to the General Assembly, a vote on Palestinian membership by the UN members could take place on September 20, approval of which requires a two-third majority.

The Middle East Quartet comprises Russia, the European Union, the United Nations and the United States.

(Press TV)