Egypt will host the next segment of the direct round of Middle East peace talks Sep 14, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday, confirming earlier reports.

The talks will take place at the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hossam Zaki, the spokesman, said in a statement.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first direct peace talks in nearly two years in Washington last week, pledging to reach a peace agreement within a year.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend the Sharm el-Sheikh meeting, along with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell.

Continued direct negotiations between the main parties are to take place every two weeks.