Rice arrives in Ramallah for talks with Palestinian leaders

Visiting US Secretary of States Condoleezza Rice arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday to hold talks with Palestinian leaders.

Palestinian official sources told reporters that after arrival, Rice started her meetings with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei at the main Palestinian National Authority (PNA) headquarters in the city.

Rice and her delegation would meet with the Palestinian Ministerial Committee, chaired by Qurei, to follow up the intended Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank, they added.

The sources said that Rice would study with the committee the Palestinian plans to control the areas that Israel is intending to evacuate.

The US delegation headed by Rice will discuss the details of the Israeli withdrawal and the Palestinian preparations for it, said the sources.

Rice is later scheduled to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Interior Minister Nasser Yousef and Civil Affairs Minister Mohamed Dahlan separately.

Source: Xinhua