Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert after the Israeli leader's visit to the United States later this month, a senior Palestinian official said on Friday.

Abbas' senior aide and Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters that Abbas proposed the talks in a phone call to Olmert on Friday.

"President Abbas called Mr. Olmert and congratulated him on the swearing-in of his new government," said Erekat, adding that Abbas also urged Olmert to resume peace talks.

Abbas made the call one day after Olmert's coalition government formally took office after winning the parliament's approval.

On Thursday, Abbas voiced willingness to start immediate and direct peace talks with the new Israeli government during a meeting with European envoys.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli side over the talk proposal.

Olmert has announced that the new Israeli government will fix the final borders with the Palestinians by 2010 by quitting isolated settlements in the West Bank and enlarging bigger ones in the absence of peace talks with the Palestinians.

Israel has cast doubt on whether it is able to find a responsible negotiation partner since the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which is sworn to Israel's destruct, took the reins of the Palestinian government.

Source: Xinhua