(Adds possible Quartet meeting in Egypt, paragraphs 3-6) WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories next week, the State Department said on Thursday, as the Bush administration tries to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement before it leaves office. Rice will discuss efforts to achieve "lasting peace in the region" consistent with the goal of a two-state solution, said State Department spokesman Robert Wood. She will start the trip on Nov. 5, the day after the U.S. election to choose who will replace President George W. Bush in January -- either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain. Israeli officials said that Israeli and Palestinian delegations were expected to go to Egypt to brief the so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators on their peace negotiations, sketching out where gaps have been narrowed and where they remain. The Quartet includes the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States. "It will be a briefing by the Israelis and Palestinians to the Quartet members on the negotiations," one Israeli official said. The official said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was expected to attend. (Additional reporting by Adam Entous in Jerusalem) (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Local resident Tina Tsereteli, 82, stands at her burnt house in the village of Ergneti, some 100 km (62 miles) west of Tbilisi, October 29, 2008. Thousands of Georgians made homeless ...
