By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : A senior Palestinian official said Sunday a meeting will be held between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert on Monday.
Speaking to Palestinian radio, head of Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Affairs Department Dr. Saeb Erekat said there was a number of matters that still required settlement, such as the livelihood of Palestinians and next fall’s peace forum called by US President George W. Bush.
Abbas wants the forum to be successful through implementing international resolutions, such as establishing an independent Palestinians state with Jerusalem as its capital, said Erekat who stressed the necessity of holding a successful forum.
Meanwhile, Israeli radio said the meeting between Abbas and Olmert would either take place on Monday or Tuesday before the visit of US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice to the region and the meeting of the international Quartet at the end of September.
The last meeting between the two officials was 10 days ago at Olmert’s official residence in Jerusalem.
On its part, Israeli Haaretz newspaper said sources from Olmert’s office had played down the significance of the meeting with Abbas.
They said “both Palestinians and Israelis are taking it slow. The two parties understand that it will take some time before understandings are achieved,” quoted the paper.
The comments referred to a request from US Assistant State Secretary David Welch during a visit to Israel last week, said the paper.
Haaretz added that “A senior government source said that Monday’s meeting, or the meeting after that, ‘will determine whether conditions are right for broadening the scope of negotiations, and for work on the agreement of principles’.”