It is encouraging to learn that the long-anticipated agreement to resume the Middle East peace talks has finally been reached between Palestine and Israel. If everything goes well, chief Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni will meet with her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erekat next week in Washington.

The news was broken on Friday night in Jordan by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is on his sixth visit to the region since March. The upcoming direct talks between the two sides in the Middle East, the first since 2010, have been the result of continuous efforts made by members of the international community. Countries such as the United States and China have stepped up mediation and carried out active diplomacy this year, trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table.

The parties concerned should cherish this hard-won result and show flexibility, so that the talks will not be merely talk for the sake of talk, and produce some positive outcomes, which in turn will help pave the way for lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.