By NNN-Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday reiterated his optimism that his country could reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians within 2008.
“Substantial progress has been made in the peace process with the Palestinian (National) Authority,” local daily The Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying Thursday night at a meeting of his ruling Kadima party.
He said that he is optimistic that the peace talks would yield results by the end of 2008, although no significant progress has so far been announced since the ambitious goal was set at a U.S.-hosted conference in Annapolis last November, and expectations has been running low for the two sides to meet the pressing deadline.
However, Olmert stressed that “we have not yet started discussing Jerusalem,” one of the key issues in the historical conflict between the two neighbors.
The prime minister referred to the issue in an apparent response to remarks made by Jack Walles, head of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, who was quoted by a Palestinian newspaper as saying that Israel has agreed to discuss the future status of Jerusalem in the peace talks with the Palestinians.
Earlier Thursday, Olmert’s office also denied Walles’ claim in a statement, which said that Olmert has offered to set up a separate forum, other than the current peace talks, to solve this issue in the future.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly expressed opposition to any delay of the talks about Jerusalem.
On the Syrian front, the prime minister was quoted as saying that Israel is committed to negotiations with Syria.