Quartet on the Middle East

The Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international and supranational entities involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Quartet are the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia. The group was established in Madrid in 2002 by the Spanish Prime Minister Aznar, as a result of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Tony Blair is the Quartet's current Special Envoy.

History and main sessions

The initiative to establish the Quartet evolved following the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September and the futile cease-fire attempts that followed. On October 25, 2001, representatives of the the EU, UN and the US and Russian governments met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and jointly expressed support for his policy of implementing cease-fire and security reforms in the Palestinian Authority.

The Quartet's meeting were held on the following dates:

- May 2, 2002

- July 16, 2002 -...
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