proximity talks

British

plural noun

a diplomatic process whereby an impartial representative acts as go-between for two opposing parties who are willing to attend the same conference but unwilling to meet face to face

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since last Sunday, Israeli and Hamas negotiators have attended eight rounds of indirect "proximity" talks in separate buildings in Doha.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

After five years of war, it was unreasonable to expect the Syrian opposition and regime delegations to find common ground in just a few days of proximity talks in Geneva, de Mistura said.

From US News • Apr. 20, 2016

He described Monday’s decision to “postpone” the third round of proximity talks as a “suspension” and gave no indication of when it would end, adding that the HNC was “out of the negotiations”.

From The Guardian • Apr. 19, 2016

The resumed talks will be "proximity talks," in which U.N. interlocutors visit the rival negotiating teams set up in different venues at the U.N. headquarters in Geneva.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2016

But Abbas agreed this month to end a boycott of negotiations with Israel by taking part in "proximity talks" through U.S. mediators.

From Reuters • Mar. 12, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023