Abbas and Olmert set for discussion on future Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is ready to begin discussing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow the legal, economic and governmental structures of a future Palestinian state, Olmert's office said.
Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is ready to begin discussing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow the legal, economic and governmental structures of a future Palestinian state, Olmert's office said.
But two officials in Olmert's office said the three main final status issues - defining the borders of a Palestinian state, the status of occupied Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees - would not be on the agenda when the prime minister meets Abbas in occupied Jerusalem.
First round of talks
The comments were the first by Olmert's office spelling out what so-called "political horizon" talks with Abbas would entail.
Tomorrow's talks here will be the first between Olmert and Abbas since they agreed, during a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month, to meet once every two weeks.
Olmert and Abbas are also expected to discuss the fate of captured Israeli soldier Shalit.
Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said Olmert and Abbas will "start talking about what a Palestinian state would look like".
