Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni arrives at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, last Sunday. Yesterday, she received the formal nod from Peres to form a new Israeli government. - AP

JERUSALEM (AP):

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday received the formal nod to form a new Israeli government, starting the clock on a 42-day period for putting together a new team and resuming Mideast peace negotiations.

Livni, 50, once an agent of the Mossad spy agency, has pledged to pursue peace with the Palestinians and Syria, following up negotiations started by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. She would be Israel's first female premier since 1974.

Even before President Shimon Peres gave her the official title of prime minister-designate yesterday evening, Livni was already conducting intensive talks with party leaders over their terms to join a coalition.

After Peres handed her the folder with the official appointment, she said, "I agree to take upon myself the role of forming a government," but only when Peres prompted her that she needed to accept the task.

In the minute-long ceremony at the president's residence, Livni, dressed formally in black and sitting in an armchair across from Peres, did not comment on policy issues.

Later, the two read statements to reporters. Livni noted, "These are not normal days for Israel. There are great diplomatic and economic challenges facing it."

She appealed to the parties in Olmert's government to continue in hers, and to other parties to join, including the hardline Likud, led by ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu.