July 15, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

RAMALLAH, July 14: Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat and prime minister Mahmud Abbas settled their differences over the approach to negotiations with Israel during a meeting on Monday night, a Palestinian official told AFP.

“President Arafat and Mahmud Abbas settled their differences during their meeting by adopting a formula on the ways and means of conducting future negotiations (with Israel) as well as over security matters,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

The official gave no details of the agreement but said it would avoid the appearance of a quarrel between the two men in future.

He said premier Abbas’ role remained unchanged and he would retain “the prerogatives defined by the Palestinian constitution”.

It was the first meeting between the pair since Abbas offered to resign from the central committee of Arafat’s Fatah movement last week.

The offer came after Abbas faced charges from fellow Palestinian leaders of being too soft in peace talks with Israel, especially on the issue of Palestinian prisoners’ releases.

An attempt on Sunday to persuade the pair to meet failed when Abbas rejected an offer to attend a dinner being held in honour of visiting Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has accused Arafat of trying to undermine Abbas.—AFP