Israeli president calls for renewed peace talks in September

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Sunday told U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy that time is right to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations this month.

"I do believe there is a fair chance to renew the negotiations before the end of this month. I think that the time may be right to do so," said Peres alongside George Mitchell, who arrived on Saturday night in another bid to help kick start peace talks between the two Mideast neighbors that have been bogged down for a year.

The Obama administration has shown apparent interest in convening a tripartite summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assmbly later this month, when they are expected to officially declare the resumption of peace talks.

Noting that gaps still remain among the parties, the largely ceremonial president stressed that Israel is totally in agreement with president Obama about the basic role and that current differences are manageable.

For his part, Mitchell said that the U.S. government shares the sense of urgency and intends to complete the current phase of discussions "in the very near future within the time frames that you suggest" so that the parties can move forward to the next phase.

The U.S. emissary also noted that the two sides "are working hard" to reach agreement on some outstanding issues, and stressed that it is in the interests of both sides to achieve comprehensive peace in the region.

The meeting is Peres' first public appearance since he was discharged from hospital in the morning. The 86-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate passed out briefly during an event in Tel Aviv on Saturday night and was then rushed to hospital. His medical team said that tests showed that Peres is in good health.

Relations between the two allies have been noticeably strained as the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far resisted a U.S. demand for a total freeze of settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Mitchell is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Monday. The premier has said that Israel is nearing a deal with the United States over the settlement issue, giving rise to speculation that the two sides would likely reach an agreement during Mitchell's visit.