Efforts underway to ensure Sharon-Abbas summit successful

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Thursday that preparations were being made in a bid to make an upcoming summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon successful.

"In order to make the summit between Abbas and Sharon successful, there has to be good preparation for it, mainly agreeing on the issues to be discussed at the meeting," Erekat told reporters.

"The meeting itself is not a goal for us. The significance of holding such a meeting is related to the subjects and issues that will be discussed in the meeting," said Erekat.

He revealed that he and Sharon's advisor Dov Weissglas would meet on Sunday to discuss agenda for the summit which is likely to be held next Tuesday in Jordan.

"Hopefully, Weissglas and I will reach an agreement on the major issues to be tackled at the summit," he said.

The last meeting between the two leaders was held on June 21 when they agreed to coordinate the implementation of the disengagement plan to withdraw Israeli settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank, which was completed last month.

A planned meeting between Sharon and Abbas last Sunday was cancelled due to a surge in violence as Israeli forces launched airstrikes on militant targets in Gaza in response to rockets attack by Hamas.

Abbas is due to meet with US President George W. Bush in Washington on Oct. 20, both Israeli and Palestinian sides would like to demonstrate diplomatic progress before the meeting.

Source: Xinhua