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Mid-East rivals seek joint stance | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will begin work next week on a joint declaration ahead of the Middle East conference to be held in November. | |
This was announced after a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. | |
The meeting was seen as crucial to the success of the US-backed conference. | |
Correspondents say officials tried to sound as upbeat as possible, but major divisions remain between the two sides. | |
The Israelis are hoping for a broad declaration of principles, without committing to a timetable for final-status talks. | |
However, Palestinian officials want a framework and possibly a timetable for making decisions on some of the most sensitive issues in the conflict, including the final borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees. | |
'Positive' | |
An Israeli spokesman said the discussions were constructive and took place in a very positive atmosphere, and that Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert had developed a good working relationship. | |
The Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, told a press conference he hoped the negotiations would ultimately lead to a two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation. There has already been at least one suggestion that the planned conference may have to be postponed. | |
The US is hoping to bring together the region's key players to work towards an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. | |
The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has said the conference must address substantive issues and advance the cause of a Palestinian state. | The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has said the conference must address substantive issues and advance the cause of a Palestinian state. |
The US has promoted a two-state solution, but the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stalled for most of the Bush administration. | The US has promoted a two-state solution, but the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stalled for most of the Bush administration. |