Olmert to meet Abbas tomorrow

Israel said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and their negotiating teams would meet tomorrow to try to narrow differences over a US-led conference on Palestinian statehood.

Israeli government spokesman David Baker yesterday said the Olmert-Abbas meeting would be held in the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams will also hold their first formal meeting tomorrow. Mr Baker said the teams would work on a "joint statement to be presented at the conclusion of the upcoming international meeting".

Mr Olmert is seeking a broad-brush joint statement for the conference, planned for mid-to-late November. Mr Abbas wants an explicit "framework" agreement with a timeline for implementation.