US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has kept contacts with foreign
leaders and officials over the Lebanon crisis, State Department spokesman Sean
McCormack said on Thursday.
Rice has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Israeli Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan over Lebanon, McCormack said.
Meanwhile, US assistant secretary of state David Welch will return to the
Middle East, McCormack said.
"He's going to be talking to various partners in the region about the
diplomatic pathway forward that we are outlining here with the French Government
as well as other partners on the international front," McCormack said.
The United States has said that it hopes the UN. Security Council to pass
resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah by
next week.
