The Quartet

       Quartet demands new PA gov't recognize Israel and demand that any Palestinian government must recognize Israel. The Quartet gathered on Wednesday for the second time this month in search of a way to advance stalled peace efforts amid strong misgivings about the Palestinians' planned unity government. The meeting's host, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said in a press conference "We know that this process of drawing closer together is difficult, and for that reason we want to support it." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted in the Russian press as saying there was a need for Israeli and Palestinians to continue direct contacts that deal with a political horizon. The Quartet commitment to meet regularly, and said it would hold a future meeting in an unspecified Arab country - an apparent part of the effort to win support for the peace process among moderate Arab states. "All involved are well aware that this is and remains a difficult process," Steinmeier said after meeting prior to the Quartet parley with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "We have to show a great deal of realism as far as expectations are concerned." In addition to Rice, Steinmeier and Lavrov, the Quartet meeting was also attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the bloc's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,media reported.(08,41)