Abbas congratulates Olmert on election win

JERUSALEM, Mar 30: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today telephoned Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to congratulate him on his election victory this week, Olmert's office said in a statement.

A spokesman for Olmert said the conversation did not touch on scheduling any talks between the two men, who have not met since the Israeli leader took over as interim prime minister when Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke on January 4.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Abbas expressed his willingness to resume final-status peace talks.

Abbas said last week he had proposed secret peace talks with Israel. His peacemaking policies have been rejected by the Islamic militant group Hamas, which assumed control of the Palestinian government this week after winning elections in January.

''(Abbas) expressed his hope that the interim prime minister will succeed in establishing a coalition as soon as possible,'' the statement from Olmert's office said.

Olmert's centrist Kadima party won Tuesday's elections on plans to set Israel's final borders within four years with or without the agreement of its Palestinian neighbour.

In the absence of talks, Olmert has vowed to draw the frontier by 2010 by removing isolated settlements in the occupied West Bank and expanding bigger ones.

Abbas has criticised Olmert's unilateral plans. Olmert likewise has criticised Abbas for not disarming Palestinian militant groups.

REUTERS