LUXOR (Egypt), Jan 15: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday that a planned summit with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders could herald the most serious Middle East peace effort in six years.

Ms Rice, on a whistle-stop tour of the region aimed at shoring up the ailing “roadmap” peace plan, announced a three-way summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas within a month.

“It has been at least six years since they talked about these issues,” Ms Rice said at a news conference in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor held jointly with Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.

Speaking after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Rice said the three-way summit would “focus on what would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.” No date has yet been set for the summit but a US official said earlier it was expected to take place in three or fours weeks. Abul Gheit said Egypt was ready to host it.Mr Olmert welcomed the summit but stressed that any Palestinian government involved in peace talks should recognise Israel's right to exist.—AFP