Olmert, Abbas expected to meet on Mar 11: Officials

Jerusalem, Mar 9: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert andPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are expected to meet on Sunday,officials said today.

''It will most likely be Sunday,'' said Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin. Some details have yet to be finalised, she said.

Olmert has vowed to boycott the unity government that Abbas isforming with Hamas Islamists unless it recognises Israel, renouncesviolence and accepts interim peace deals as demanded by the Quartet ofWest Asia mediators.

At Sunday's planned meeting, Olmert will tell Abbas the newgovernment must meet the demands of the Quartet. Olmert will also askAbbas to account for 100 million dollars in Palestinian tax money whichIsrael transferred to him earlier this year, officials said.

Abbas will try to convince Olmert to soften his opposition to theunity government and is expected to raise the possibility of expandinga shaky Gaza truce to the occupied West Bank.

Some Palestinian militants oppose expanding the truce, and Israeliofficials say they will not consider the proposal until Palestiniansstop firing rockets from the Gaza Strip.

The unity government agreement contains a vague promise to''respect'' previous Israeli-Palestinian pacts. But it does not committhe incoming government to abide by those pacts, nor to recogniseIsrael and renounce violence.

Abbas yesterday said the unity government was ''99 per cent'' agreed but would not be announced until next week.

Abbas and Olmert held a three-way summit last month with USSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice that was overshadowed bydifferences over the power-sharing deal.

Rice is expected to return to the region for separate talks with Olmert and Abbas later this month.

Reuters>