By Xinhua
Ramallah : Contacts are underway to arrange a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Saturday.
“There are speedy contacts but so far I can’t say that the time has been set (for the meeting),” Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio. The last semi-regular meeting between the two leaders was on Jan. 27 in Jerusalem.
Abbas and Olmert agreed to hold biweekly meetings following November’s Annapolis peace conference.
But peace talks have been suspended due to Israel’s continuation of building settlements in West Bank and daily raids into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“We can’t say that the negotiations have started so far,” according to Erekat.
Recently, Abbas called on Gaza militant groups and Israel to abide by a mutual ceasefire. His Fatah’s armed wing in Gaza said it accepts the call but Hamas, which rules the costal Strip, rejected Abbas’ call.