CAIRO, March 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit held a session of intensive talks here on Wednesday with his Palestinian counterpart Nasser al-Kidwa on the Middle East peace process, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.

    Addressing a joint press conference with Kidwa, Abul Gheit said their meeting covered ongoing efforts to settle the Palestinian issue, including preparations for a new round of inter-Palestinian dialogue to be held in Cairo later this month.

    "The meeting covered Palestinian-Israel contacts to implement Sharm el-Sheikh understandings and the (Israeli) pullout from the Gaza Strip in conformity with the roadmap," the Egyptian top diplomat said.

    He referred to agreements reached at a Feb. 8 summit when Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a mutual ceasefire to end more than four years of bloodshed.

    Israel also agreed at the meeting to release some 900 Palestinian prisoners and return security control of five West Bankcities to the Palestinians.

    However, the relative calm between the two sides after the meeting was shattered on Feb. 25 when a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed five Israelis.

    The inter-Palestinian dialogue, originally planned for March 5 but delayed after the Tel Aviv attack, will bring together Palestinian officials and representatives of various Palestinian groups to achieve a unified stance toward the peace process with Israel. Enditem