By Xinhua
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will discuss political and daily life issues though details still lack an agreement, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday.
; “The meeting will focus on the political issues and a number of daily issues would be put forward …the detailed agenda are still under discussions,” Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio.
He asserted that the summit between the two men, who have been meeting regularly in recent months, would be held before the beginning of Muslim’s holy month of Ramadan that falls on Wednesday or Thursday.
“It also might be held tomorrow (Monday),” Erekat added.
Abbas and Olmert will try to figure out some sort of agreement on final status issues ahead of November international peace conference though Olmert rules out reaching any such deal.
However, Olmert’s aides have said that his Monday meeting with Abbas is not specifically aimed at producing results for a U.S.-proposed international conference on Mideast peace, local Ha’aretz reported Sunday.
Olmert’s aides were quoted as saying that “both Palestinians and Israelis are taking it slow. The two parties understand that it will take some time before understandings are achieved.”
The Israeli officials made the comments as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch had earlier urged Olmert and Abbas to produce tangible results during their Monday summit meeting in order to be well prepared for the U.S.-proposed conference.
Welch made the call during his visit to Israel last week, who was in the region to prepare for a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice scheduled to begin later this month.
According to a senior Israeli government source, the Olmert-Abbas Monday meeting “will determine whether conditions are right for broadening the scope of negotiations, and for work on the agreement of principles.”
U.S. President George W. Bush has called for the international conference on Mideast peace later this year in order to jumpstart Israeli-Palestinian talks, which is widely expected to be held in November.
Erekat reiterated that the November conference can not succeed without adopting timetables and mechanisms for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The Road Map, the Arab Peace Initiative, international resolutions and President (George W.) Bush’s vision of two states solution must be implemented,” Erekat stressed, recalling that “ending the Israeli occupation that started in 1967 was the common factor between all those initiatives.”
He urged that Arab countries like “Lebanon, Syria and Jordan” should be part of the U.S.-sponsored conference since these nations were part of the conflict and the peace.
Meanwhile, on the internal conflict, Erekat revealed that the Palestinian leadership would resolve the crisis of Gaza takeover by Hamas through dialogue, but he did not clarify if they will talk with Hamas.
“We are about to settle the problem not by military force but with understanding and dialogue,” Erekat added.