UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday welcomed the meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The secretary-general has been following events concerning the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory carefully as the announced Aug. 15 date for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the northern West Bank approaches, said a statement issued by a UN spokesman in New York

"He welcomes the meeting today between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and looks forward to evaluating the situation at the meeting of the quartet in London later this week," the statement said.

Annan, who is in Europe, will attend a meeting Thursday at Principals' Level in London of the diplomatic quartet -- the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States -- which are co- sponsors of the roadmap peace plan for the Middle East.

The plan calls for parallel and reciprocal steps by Israel and the Palestinians leading to two States living in peace and security, originally targeted for the end of this year.

Source: Xinhua