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Olmert meets Abbas on eve of vote Olmert meets Abbas on eve of vote
(1 day later)
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert is meeting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for peace talks, a day before Mr Olmert's party is due to replace him as leader. Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for peace talks, a day before Mr Olmert's party is due to replace him as leader.
The US government wants to see a full peace deal reached before President George Bush leaves office in January. The US government wants to see a full peace deal reached before President George W Bush leaves office in January.
But it is widely accepted by Israelis and Palestinians that this is increasingly unlikely. A spokesman for Mr Olmert described the discussions as "serious" and said the two leaders would meet again soon.
Mr Olmert, facing corruption claims, said he will step down after his Kadima party chooses his successor. Mr Olmert, who denies corruption claims, says he will step down after his Kadima party chooses his successor.
The prime minister denies the allegations against him. The party votes on Wednesday and the front-runners to succeed him are Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz.
The front-runners to succeed Mr Olmert are the Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, and the Transport Minister, Shaul Mofaz. But Mr Olmert may stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government is formed, which could take weeks or even months.
But correspondents say Mr Olmert may stay on as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition government is formed, which could take weeks or even months. 'Work needed'
Mr Abbas is due to meet Mr Bush next week after attending the opening ceremony of the annual UN General Assembly meeting. Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas have been meeting regularly since new dialogue was launched at a peace conference in the US in November 2007.
Core issues up for discussion are the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state, settlements in the West Bank, refugees, security and water resources.
But there has been little visible progress and it is widely accepted by Israelis and Palestinians that an agreement by January is increasingly unlikely.
Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, did not disclose details of the discussions.
But he said they would continue as long as Mr Olmert "remains prime minister of Israel, and he does so until a new government is sworn in".
"We have come a long way but more work needs to be done," he added.
The two men will meet again once Mr Abbas returns from the opening ceremony of the annual UN General Assembly, where he is scheduled to meet Mr Bush.