By DPA
Jericho (West Bank) : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday he wanted to see the creation of a Palestinian state which would be established alongside Israel “as soon as possible”.
He made the remarks as he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss what an Israeli spokesman said were “fundamental issues” which would be the basis for Palestinian statehood.
“Our intention is to bring about two states for two peoples, and we want to do this as soon as possible,” Olmert said.
The parley, which lasted nearly three hours, was held in the West Bank city of Jericho, amid stifling security which seemed to emphasize the fact that Olmert is the first Israeli premier to visit a nominally Palestinian-controlled city in nearly seven years.
Israeli officials described the talks as “very constructive, useful and promising”. Palestinian spokesmen said the two leaders held a “serious and in-depth” discussion.
Both sides said more meetings would be held ahead of an international conference, scheduled for autumn this year, on Palestinian statehood. During their one-on-one talks Monday, held before they were joined by their advisors, Olmert and Abbas agreed to widen the content of their future discussions in order to advance understandings which would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.
They also spoke about building up Palestinian institutions, Israeli spokesman David Baker said.
Palestinian officials had said before the meeting got underway that the sides would try formulate a declaration of principles which could be presented to the international parley, the officials said.
The wider session Monday focused more on day-to-day issues, including increased security cooperation, the removal of roadblocks in the West Bank and increased freedom of movement there for Palestinians, and the formation of a joint economic council
Palestinians also asked to revive bilateral ministerial committees, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Abbas asked Olmert to release more Palestinian prisoners from Israel jails, in addition to the 250 freed recently.
The meeting was the latest in a series of high-profile contacts between the sides, initiated after Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led unity government and appointed a new administration in its place, following the Islamist group’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last month.
Israel had refused dealings with any Palestinian government containing Hamas representatives because of the radical movement’s refusal to recognize the Jewish state’s right to exist.
The Islamic Hamas movement, meanwhile, slammed Monday’s meeting, saying previous talks between Abbas and Olmert had “brought nothing for the Palestinian people”.
Such meetings, deposed prime minister Ismail Haniya said, “were held to provide cover for an American policy based on subduing the Palestinian cause and “in order to to wage new wars against Islamic nations and other countries in the region.”