Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced on Sunday that he would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon right after the new Palestinian cabinet is reshuffled.

In a special recorded interview broadcast by the Palestinian Satellite Television, Abbas said "It doesn't matter who would meet with Sharon, either me or Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei. But the most important thing is that there are many issues to be discussed, mainly the roadmap peace plan and the Israeli unilateral disengagement plan."

He said that he does not know why Sharon boycotted him right after he was elected as the new leader of the Palestinians, adding in a sense of humor, "and I don't know if he is still boycotting me."

"If there is going to be a meeting, the major issue we would discuss with Sharon is that the unilateral disengagement plan must not be isolated or separated from the roadmap peace plan in the Middle East," said Abbas.