Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (R) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands during their meeting at Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem April 15, 2007.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
JERUSALEM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Jerusalem on Sunday, the first of planned regular meetings that agreed during U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Mideast regional visit last month.
The two leaders began their summit meeting right after Abbas arrived at Olmert's residence in Jerusalem at about 10:00 GMT.
Shortly after the first regular meeting, David Baker, an official in Olmert's office told Xinhua that the meeting was "productive and positive", which will be helpful in maintaining the ongoing dialog between the two sides.
It could be possible that the next meeting between the two leaders will take place in Jericho, said the Israeli official.
Olmert announced at the meeting that from now on, the Karni terminal, a cargo crossing linking Israel and the Gaza Strip, will extend its operating hours, in order to facilitate the transfer of Palestinian wares and humanitarian supplies.
He also requested that Abbas work to stop Qassam rocket attacks against southern Israeli communities, and prevent arm smuggling into the Gaza Strip and use more of his influence to bring about the release of the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The two leaders didn't discuss any final status issues regarding the establishment of the Palestinian state, but they talked about the political horizon and economic cooperation between Israel and the future Palestinian state, Baker said.
According to local media, Abbas presented Olmert with a plan detailing the deployment of Palestinian security forces along the border between Gaza and Egypt in an attempt to stop weapons smuggling.
The plan also details the deployment of the Palestinian Presidential Guards in Gaza to stop militants from firing Qassam rockets into Israeli territory.
During the meeting, Olmert also addressed the Arab Peace Initiative, which was adopted by an Arab League summit in Beirut in 2002 and ratified for a second time at the 19th Arab League summit in Riyadh last month.
Olmert reiterated that he was willing to meet with the Arab leaders although he does not agree with some of the basic elements of the initiative.
The Arab peace initiative, which was first proposed by Saudi Arabia, calls for Israel's pullout from Arab land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in return for the normalization of ties with Arab states.
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (R) meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Olmert's official residence in Jerusalem, April 15, 2007. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
RAMALLAH, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat revealed on Sunday that President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert discussed security related issues during their summit meeting.
Erekat made the remarks at a news conference held in Ramallah following the end of the Abbas-Olmert meeting held in Jerusalem earlier in the day. Full story
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