Abbas voices hope ahead of Olmert meeting

Ramallah (West Bank), Sep 10: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was hopeful of reaching a ''framework'' deal for a Palestinian state in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert but acknowledged obstacles remained.

In an interview broadcast on the eve of today's meeting between the leaders in Jerusalem, Abbas said a framework agreement should be presented at a US-sponsored conference in November in a move that could clear the way for final-status negotiations on a peace deal.

''I am hopeful,'' Abbas told Italy's RAI television. ''But I don't know what are the obstacles -- and we have many of the obstacles -- which will face us. We hope that we can overcome all kinds of obstacles.'' Senior Palestinian officials said some progress had been made in recent meetings between the leaders to narrow the gaps over the nature of a future Palestinian state but that the sides have not yet reached the point of drafting principles.

''Today we hope the two leaders will take it to the next step and start the drafting stage,'' Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said.

But Israeli officials said differences remained, particularly over the scope of any deal.

Olmert is seeking a broadbrush ''declaration of principles'' in time for the November conference, whereas Abbas wants a more explicit ''framework'' agreement with a timeline for implementation on the core issues of borders, Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Israeli officials said the talks have started to touch on core issues, but that no new announcements were planned after Monday's session.

A senior Israeli government official said Israel was unlikely to release from prison 100 members of Abbas's Fatah faction ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins this week. The release had been expected.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will attend the Olmert-Abbas meeting, which seeks to lay the groundwork for a planned visit to the region by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week.

Palestinian officials said the United States has not yet spelled out publicly what it hopes to achieve at the November conference and has not sent out invitations, but it wants Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, which does not have relations with Israel, to attend.

''(US President George W) Bush has not called for a photo-op meeting. There will be an important announcement regarding final status at the conference,'' said one senior Western diplomat who is familiar with the discussions.

The Palestinians want a final deal that leads to a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, lands Israel occupied during the 1967 West Asia war. Hamas seized control of Gaza in June.

Reuters
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