The Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas insisted on Monday that final status talks with Israel must be launched after the fall summit to be held in the US.

 

After a two-hour meeting in Ramallah with the visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Abbas told a joint news conference that "We are working together, and we are seriously looking forward to achieve a just and comprehensive peace not only on the Palestinian track, but also on all Arab ones." ?

 

"We are exerting every possible effort to make the summit that (U.S.) President George Bush had called for and we are working on forming a joint document with the Israeli side that puts the basis for the six final status issues," added Abbas.

 

The six final status issues that the Israelis and the Palestinians are expected in principle to agree upon include "Jerusalem, the Palestinian refugees, Jewish settlements, water, security and the borders of the independent Palestinian state."

 

The US President George W. Bush had called for holding an international peace conference, which will involve Israel, the Palestinians, and some Arab countries still in conflict with Israel as well as leaders of the international community.

 

Israel and the Palestinians planned to negotiate on a joint document or declaration before going to the summit expected to be held before the end of November.

 

Meanwhile, Rice told reporters that there will be a timetable for the summit "which will set up for establishing the Palestinian state, adding, "I will try to help and to encourage the totems to agree on a joint document."

 

However, she said "the thing which is more important is to build up confidence, which I built up with you (Abbas) and with (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert," adding "the roadmap plan is our guide on when to establish the state."

 

"We will work together in a goodwill atmosphere in order to finish the mission that you (Abbas) and Olmert had started," said Rice, who would meet later with leaders of three major religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity in Jerusalem.

 

Rice arrived in Israel on Sunday, embarking on her four-day visit to the region, which aims to bridge the gaps between the Israeli and the Palestinian negotiators and to finalize preparations for the fall summit.

 

Israel and the Palestinians still differ with each other as to what they should agree on before November. The Palestinians expects a detailed framework agreement that would address core issues including borders, Jerusalem and refugees while Israel wants only a broad-brush principle for peace talks.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2007)