An international peace conference, which would include Israel and moderate Arab nations, is likely to convene in November, sources close to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday.
However, the exact date, place, participants of the conference still remain undecided, the sources was quoted by local newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth as saying.
Rice's Wednesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resulted in the decision that the U.S. would continue to exert its influence on moderate Arab countries, convincing more of them to take part in the conference, the report said.
Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar and Bahrain were named as potential participants, but no actual date and location have been set, nor has Rice announced the conference's agenda, it added.
During his meeting with Rice, Olmert said that he welcomed Saudi Arabia's support for the peace conference.
He urged Rice to include Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain and other Gulf states in the conference, adding that it was important for the delegates to be of ministerial rank at least.
Rice also met with Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon before heading to Ramallah for talks with the Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.
"We have to create the framework for a permanent solution before the November conference, allowing for a clear political future in which both side's security needs are met," said Ramon.
Rice arrived in Israel on Wednesday afternoon to lay the ground for the international peace conference, which U.S. President George W. Bush proposed on July 16 to be held later this year, in hope to promote Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
Source: Xinhua
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