The Quartet of Middle East international mediators should be expanded to include China and India, Russia's former prime minister Yevgeny Primakov said on Thursday.

"It is necessary to activate the Quartet and to expand the mediator mission on its base," Primakov, who is also the head of Russia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the Valdai discussion club in Malta.

He poured cold water on the Quartet's "road map," the plan for peace in the region, saying a "compromised Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution" is in order. He did not elaborate.

The Quartet is currently made up of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia.

The United States gave up efforts this week to talk Israel into freezing controversial settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territory. Washington offered the Israelis a package of incentives in exchange for a 90-day moratorium on construction.

Direct talks between the two sides, which resumed in September after a 20-month standoff, were derailed after Israel renewed construction in the West Bank.

Primakov said Israel was to blame for the failure of talks.

VALLETTA (MALTA), December 9 (RIA Novosti)