Rice to hold talks with Abbas in W. Bank city Jericho Thursday: official

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will come and hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho on Thursday, a Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

According to the official, the Rice-Abbas meeting will take place in Jericho as Rice is accompanying U.S. President George W. Bush in the Jordanian capital Amman for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

However, no immediate official confirmation is available from either side at the moment.

It was reported that Abbas on Tuesday left the West Bank for Amman to meet and brief Jordan's King Abdullah II on efforts to shore up a ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip and ongoing efforts to form a Palestinian unity government.

Media reports have speculated on a possible meeting in Amman also between Abbas and Bush, who is expected to arrive in the Jordanian capital on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua