JERUSALEM: Israel's foreign minister says there's no chance of ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for many years.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says efforts to reach a final peace deal have failed since the first accord between Israel and the Palestinians in 1993.

Lieberman says it's unrealistic to think a long-term agreement on ending the conflict can be reached at this time and that whoever thinks an agreement can be reached soon just doesn't understand the situation.

He says the two sides should instead strive for interim agreements that would create stability and leave the tough issues between them "to a much later stage."

Lieberman spoke ahead of a meeting with Washington's special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, later Wednesday.