UNITED NATIONS, Aug 6 (Saba) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Thursday called Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton over the phone to discuss the Middle East peace process and efforts to move Palestinians and Israelis to direct talks, , Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Friday.

Ban, on an official visit to Japan, also discussed with Secretary Clinton the role of the Quartet - UN, US, EU and Russia - in the peace process, and briefed her on his recent conversations by phone with leaders in the region.

Ban's phone call came in the context of hectic diplomatic activities, earlier this week, to push the process forward, such as the phone call between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his US counterpart Barack Obama and the meeting between King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Quartet had devised a peace plan for the Middle East, labelled "the Road Map," genuinely envisaging establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Washington has put its political weight into the arena of the peace efforts, pressing the Palestinian leadership of Abbas to get involved in direct negotiations with Tel Aviv. However, Abbas has repeatedly asserted that fruitful and constructive talks cannot be held in shadow of Israel's settlement schemes.

Saba