Abbas and Olmert to meet on April 7

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

AMMAN (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Monday he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on April 7 for their first face-to-face talks in seven weeks.

"My meeting with the prime minister will be held soon, I believe it will be on April 7," Abbas told a joint news conference in Amman with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The last meeting between Abbas and Olmert was in Jerusalem on February 19, after which the Palestinian president suspended all talks in protest at a deadly Israeli blitz on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

"I am confident that we will reach a comprehensive peace agreement in 2008 because we are working hard with Israel, the United States and other parties to reach this deal," Abbas said.

"We want by the end of...