Amman - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday
that he planned to discuss with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on
Sunday all outstanding issues including the 'final stage
negotiations.'
Abbas made the remarks after a meeting with Jordan's King
Abdullah, who briefed him on the outcome of his visit to the United
States last week that involved a meeting with President George W Bush
and delivering the first speech by an Arab leader before the US
Congress.
'I intend to discuss with the Israeli premier all outstanding
questions for which we did not reach solutions so far as well as the
final status talks,' Abbas told reporters.
'Our discussions will also cover the ongoing efforts to form a
Palestinian national unity government,' he said.
'It is important to build on His Majesty the King's speech before
the (US) Congress by conducting close and relentless contacts on
Arab, regional and international levels, as this speech has dealt
with the Palestinian question in an unprecedented manner,' he added.
In his speech, King Abdullah urged the United States to lead an
effort with a view to reaching a final settlement to the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict this year, saying 'we are all at risk' if we fail in
this endeavour.
According to a royal court statement, King Abdullah on Sunday
urged the Palestinians 'to work out a clear vision of targets to be
achieved through the coming series of negotiations.'
'This vision should be ready before the arrival in the region of
the US Secretary of State (Condoleezza Rice) and the convening of the
Arab summit conference' due to be held in Riyadh at the end of March,
the statement quoted the monarch as telling Abbas.
He referred to the formation of the Hamas-led Palestinian
coalition government, one of the issues that topped the king's talks
with the Palestinian president and the reservations still being
raised by Israel and the United States regarding the policy the new
cabinet would pursue concerning the recognition of Israel.
Under the provisions of the Saudi-brokered Mecca agreement that
was concluded between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah group on February 8, the
Islamic movement pledged to 'respect' the agreements so far concluded
by the Palestinian Authority with Israel.
However, Olmert and other Israeli leaders so far insisted on an
unequivocal Hamas recognition of the Jewish state before moving to
lift the military and economic siege that has been imposed on the
Gaza Strip since the fundamentalist group scored a landslide victory
in the January 2005 parliamentary elections.
Abbas said on Thursday that '99 per cent' of issues relating to
the formation of the national unity government had been resolved.
However, reports from the Palestinian territories said that some
hurdles still impeded the forging of the new cabinet, including an
agreement between Hamas and Fatah on who was going to be interior
minister.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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