A statement published by the Middle East Quartet on 9 November 2008 in New York, NY, following a meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU High Representative Javier Solana, EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Quartet Representative Tony Blair. The meeting included a briefing by PNA President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on progress in negotiations as part of the Annapolis Process, in which the two leaders affirmed their commitment to the process as described in the Annapolis Joint Statement and to their obligations under the Road Map. The Quartet leaders expressed their support to the process.