U.S. chief diplomat to meet Israeli, Palestinian leaders this weekend

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will hold separate talks this weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, the State Department said on Thursday.

U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchel, who is to join Clinton for the meetings, is currently in the Middle East to prepare for the talks.

The scheduled meetings between Clinton and Netanyahu and Abbas "will build on the intensive work the (Obama) administration has engaged in with both sides since the trilateral meeting last month," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.

The Obama administration "is committed to comprehensive peace, including a two-state solution," the spokesman added.

Despite Washington's vows to promote the Middle East peace process, Clinton last week offered President Barack Obama a pessimistic report on U.S. efforts to forge Middle East peace.