(Reopens) Meanwhile, commenting on Convening of a new round of negotiations Tuesday between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the «time is ripe» for a Mideast peace deal. Hillary Clinton said the Obama administration believes Israel should extend the moratorium, but she also said it would take an effort by both sides to find a way around the problem. «We recognize that an agreement that could be forged between the Israelis and the Palestinians ... that would enable the negotiations to continue is in the best interests of both sides,» she was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Hillary Clinton spoke with reporters Monday during a flight from Washington to Egypt for the latest round of the current Mideast peace talks, which began earlier this month in Washington. After her arrival early Tuesday, she met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before separate sit-downs with Abbas and Netanyahu. --MORE 14:20 LOCAL TIME 11:20 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/817098