Abbas-Olmert meeting is "deep, positive:" Palestinian official

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Saturday night that a meeting held earlier between President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert " was deep and positive."

Abbas met with Olmert in West Jerusalem to discuss political, security and financial issues.

Erekat told a news conference in Ramallah after the two-hour meeting that the meeting was held after almost one year of disconnection of ties between the two sides.

"We demanded in the past that we would not want meetings for photo opportunity. There were serious and intensive preparations for this meeting, without raising expectations, but the meeting was deep and good," Erekat said.

He said that during the meeting, Abbas presented all meaningful issues related to reviving the stalled peace process by ending

occupation and implementing the roadmap peace plan and the Arab peace initiative.

"We agreed not to take any action that precedes results of the talks," Erekat said, adding "we talked seriously about settlements near Jerusalem and their side effect on the economy and the people 's sense of security."

Erekat said that the issue of prisoners in Israeli jails was also discussed, adding "President Abbas presented documents to prove that this issue is touching the nerve and hearts of the Palestinian people."

"President Abbas asked Olmert to free 65 prisoners who had been in Israeli jails for more than 25 years, in addition of another 268 prisoners who had been in prison since the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993," Erekat said.

He said that Abbas and Olmert decided to form a joint committee to determine the criteria to be followed in releasing prisoners from Israeli jails, including Hamas ministers and lawmakers.

Erekat said that Olmert agreed to unfreeze within the coming few days 100 million U.S. dollars of Palestinian tax revenues "for humanitarian reasons."

He said that it was agreed that another 1 million dollars will be sent to Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem, adding "we hope that this would happen as soon as possible."

As for the question of calm, Erekat said that President Abbas told Olmert that it was necessary to extend a ceasefire between Palestinian militant groups and Israel to the West Bank. The ceasefire was temporarily applicable in the Gaza Strip.

Erekat said that the two leaders agreed to hold more meetings in the near future to discuss vital issues.

Source: Xinhua