Olmert, Abbas to meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday

JERUSALEM, Aug 27 (Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Olmert's office confirmed today, for talks expected to focus on principles for Palestinian statehood.

The meeting at the prime minister's residence, also confirmed by Palestinian officials, is part of a series of discussions leading up to a US-sponsored West Asia conference expected to be held in November to try to revive peacemaking between Israel and Abbas's government.

The talks had been expected to take place but final arrangements were not confirmed until the last moment.

Abbas dismissed a Hamas-led government and formed a new administration in the occupied West Bank after the Islamist group seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki said Abbas and Olmert would discuss fundamental issues that are key to establishing a Palestinian state.

''President Abbas has succeeded in convincing the Israelis to focus on the main issues,'' Malki said.

Israeli and Palestinian officials emerged from an August 6 summit in the West Bank city of Jericho with differing explanations on whether those fundamental issues should refer to questions long described as the ''final status'' matters of borders and the future of Jerusalem and of Palestinian refugees.

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