WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- High-stakes Israel-Lebanon direct talks at the ambassador level are underway on Tuesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voicing hope for a framework that could lead to a "very positive" and lasting outcome.

"All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours, but we can begin to move forward and create the framework for something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent," Rubio said in short opening remarks.

"This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day," Rubio added.  ■