Washington, July 30, SPA -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice underlined the need for a quick resolution to the Palestinian question as she prepared for trilateral talks Wednesday with Israeli and Palestinian officials, AFP reported. She acknowledged difficulty in achieving a Middle East peace deal by the end of the year as targeted under US-brokered talks, but noted growing recognition that the Palestinian issue should be resolved swiftly for regional security. "The Middle East is not going to get better without the creation of a Palestinian state to live side-by-side with Israel in peace, security and democracy, " she said. "It simply isn't going to get better. And so the question is, if not now, when?," she said amid growing pessimism about US President George W. Bush's desire to end the Middle East conflict before he left office in January 2009. Rice spoke ahead of three way talks in Washington Wednesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia, who have been meeting at least once a week for several months.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/578149