On the back burner is the still-unresolved major issue of a permanent agreement by U.S. lawmakers on government taxing and spending measures.
Outsiders, including the Americans, were long inclined to concur with Israeli doves in doubting Mr Sharon's desire or intention to reach the ceasefire and thus trigger the settlement freeze, let alone resume talks on a permanent agreement.
Unlike in previous elections, the parties' campaigns have focused largely on social and economic issues, rather than the prospects for a permanent peace agreement with the Palestinians.
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He has taken the view that I find absolutely indefensible, that he doesn't have to bring any such agreement about permanent bases, about ongoing occupation.
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One document he likes, which could be part of the ideas he is said to be sharpening, is one of the rare moments of diplomatic agreement between the five permanent members of the Security Council, after a meeting in Geneva in June.
Colombia has lobbied hard for passage of this agreement because it would make permanent the trade preferences they now have, and to attract long term foreign investment.
We don't know what we're going to inherent from President Bush, but there is a big problem looming on the horizon that we had better pay attention to, and that is President Bush is intent upon negotiating a long-term agreement with Iraq which would have permanent bases, permanent troop presence.
Now the two sides are close to an agreement under which the Americans will make the waivers permanent and promise to eschew similar extra-territorial laws in future.
He added it was "out of the question" to accept Mr Sharon's call for a "very long-term interim agreement" for the Palestinians as opposed to a permanent solution.
If this month's peace agreement for Sierra Leone survives, the excuse for a permanent security clampdown in Guinea will be removed.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the United States is pleased with the language in the statement, which was a compromise reached when the five permanent members of the Security Council and Japan could not come to agreement on a resolution with new sanctions.
Political agreement on these measures will not be easy to attain among the permanent five nations of the Security Council.
The Americans clearly hope that an agreement will reduce the tension so the deadline can be postponed while permanent-status negotiations get under way.
Originally in Southampton, it decamped a few miles east last year after failing to reach agreement with the town about an expansion that would allow it to show its permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions.
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In Congress, Vitter promoted President Bush's tax cuts, seeking to make them permanent, but differed from the White House when it came to immigration and the Central America Free Trade Agreement, because it did not exempt sugar imports.
If the change went ahead, which would be subject to the agreement of the devolved institutions, Lord Wallace said the government planned to consult further on making the extension permanent.
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