U.S. Wants to Host New Three-Way Summit: Palestinian Official

The U.S. Administration intends to host another three-way summit in order to clinch a final peace agreement between Palestinians and Israel, a senior Palestinian official has said.

Nabil Shaath, minister of planning and international cooperation of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), said Washington has informed the PNA of its intention to hold the summit, according to the El Ayam newspaper here Wednesday.

But he said that the U.S. officials have not decided the time or the venue of the summit.

Both the Palestinian and Israeli sides are optimistic that they can reach a deal soon to end decades of conflict between them, saying an accord is very close.

U.S. Middle East peace envoy Denis Ross is due to arrive in the region Thursday in a fresh attempt to push forward the deadlocked negotiations.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei, known as Abu Ala, will meet with Israeli acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami Wednesday night at an undisclosed location to resume their talks.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/