Middle East News
Olmert, Abbas meet in Jerusalem to review negotiations progress
Aug 31, 2008, 11:34 GMT
Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Sunday for the second time in a month to discuss the progress of the peace negotiations.
Abbas was expected during the meeting to ask Israel to release more Palestinian prisoners, in addition to the 198 freed earlier this month as a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian leader.
Abbas also wants to secure the release of Marwan Barghouti, the imprisoned West Bank leader of the Fatah movement, who has been in an Israeli jail for the past six years.
The Israeli Ha'aretz daily, meanwhile reported Sunday that Olmert is keen on getting the Palestinians to agree to a framework for a solution to the conflict, before he leaves office.
Olmert, mired in corruption investigations, announced in July that he will step down once his Kadima party chooses a new leader and his successor forms a new government.
The Kadima primaries are scheduled to take place on September 17.
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