Abbas, Olmert meet ahead of Bush visit

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-09-2008 09:16

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to instruct their negotiating teams to start talks about core issues concerning their conflicts.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (L) speaks with  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their  meeting in Jerusalem Jan. 8, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Meanwhile, US president George W. Bush is set to arrive in the Mideast Wednesday for a three-day visit. It's hoped the Palestinians and the Israelis can work out their differences under the supervision of the US.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met in Jerusalem in an attempt to make progress from talks that have barely advanced since last November's US-sponsored Mideast peace conference.

In a two-hour meeting, the Palestinian and Israeli leaders authorized negotiations on all of the final-status issues, from setting statehood borders to deciding the fate of Jerusalem.

And the two sides put high expectations on the mediation by the US in the peace process.

Saeb Erekat, Palestinian Negotiator, said, "What we want President Bush to help us with is to make sure that 2008 will be a year of peace, a year of negotiations, a year for the treaty and President Bush now is the judge."

Mark Regev, Israeli Government Spokesman, said, "It is a good opportunity to help strengthen what is already an excellent bilateral relationship between Jerusalem and Washington and it is also a good opportunity to keep the positive momentum in the peace process going as we move forward to historic reconciliation."

The Abbas-Olmert agreement was timed to smooth the way for Bush's first visit to Israel and the West Bank.

Under US pressure, Olmert responded with a de-facto stop to new construction in settlements in the West Bank. The agreement also asked Palestinians to crack down on militants.

The final-status negotiations will be conducted largely in secret by Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei