Egypt says to host Mideast Quartet meeting in November

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will host a meeting of Middle East peace mediators in November in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to try to keep peace talks moving, a spokesman for President Hosni Mubarak said on Monday.

The so-called Quartet of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations has been trying to breathe life into the stalled peace process.

"Egypt will host a meeting of the international Quartet in Sharm el-Sheikh next month," Mubarak spokesman Suleiman Awad said in remarks carried on state news agency MENA.

Awad said the Quartet, in particular the European Union, needed to work to keep up momentum to ensure the quick resumption of peace talks after the formation of new Israeli and U.S. governments.

Israel is headed towards an early election after ruling party leader Tzipi Livni dropped efforts to form a government, in a move likely to kill any remaining chances for a peace deal with the Palestinians this year.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier in October that the Quartet may meet at ministerial level in early November with Israeli and Palestinian participation, and that it would be natural for such a meeting to be held in the region.

Awad gave no details on what level the meeting would be held on, nor say when exactly it would be held. Egypt is also planning to host Palestinian reconciliation talks next month. Israeli and Palestinian diplomats have been attempting to negotiate a peace deal that could be finalised before U.S. President George W. Bush steps down in January, although both sides now doubt an agreement can be reached in this timeframe.

During the U.N. General Assembly on September 26, the Quartet issued a statement saying it favoured holding an international meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in Moscow next year.

(Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Dominic Evans)