Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas promised Palestinians on Tuesday their lives would improve as a result of his talks Monday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"Many issues which affect the Palestinians in their day-to-day lives will be resolved," Abbas told Voice of Palestine radio in his first public comments on his meeting on Monday with Olmert in the West Bank city of Jericho.
Palestinian officials said they received assurances from Olmert that Israel would approve as early as next week the removal of some of the hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and barriers that restrict Palestinian travel in the West Bank.
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Similar pledges in the past have not been fully implemented following opposition from Israeli security officials.
Abbas also sought the release of more Palestinian prisoners held by Israel but Olmert, who recently freed over 250 inmates, was non-committal.
"We can evaluate the results after two more meetings," Abbas told the radio.
Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas agreed Monday that cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority would be expanded, in an effort to expedite progress in their talks for the establishment of the Palestinian state.
"Exchanges between the two sides will become increasingly more substantive, and will deal less with routine matters," a senior political source in Jerusalem said Monday.
The three-hour meeting between Olmert and Abbas took place in two parts: a private meeting just between the leaders, and a lunch with their teams of advisers.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said that the atmosphere at the meeting was constructive.
Saeb Erekat, head of the PLO negotiating team, described Monday's meeting between Olmert and Abbas as serious and detailed.
"Abbas did not come to the meeting with a magic wand, and neither did Mr. Olmert," Erekat said at a news conference. "There is an agreement on a series of meetings to discuss the issues, including the establishment of a Palestinian state."
Abbas thanked Olmert for the release of 255 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, and expressed hope that the next step would result in the freeing of more prisoners. The two decided to institute a special ministerial committee, and that the Palestinian Authority will be represented by Interior Minister Abd al-Razek al-Yihiye.
Israel also promised the Palestinians to reconsider the request of the militants who were expelled after the siege on the Church of the Nativity in 2002.
"The negotiations on renewing the diplomatic talks between the two sides have reached fruition," Erekat said Monday. "What we now need is decisions by the two leaders. We do not need to do anything new for a regional summit, but to clarify the existing initiatives and the signed agreements. We support the Arab [League] initiative and the road map as the basis for this summit."
Erekat also said that the two leaders would hold at least three more meetings before the November summit in Washington.
Commenting on the Abbas-Olmert meeting, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that he did not expect it to produce any results.
Ahmed Yousef, an aide to Haniyeh, said Monday that secret talks were taking place between Fatah and Hamas to try to find a possible scenario to emerge from the current crisis and resume the so-called national dialogue. Abbas' spokesmen weren't immediately available for comment, but in recent days, he has denied similar reports by Hamas
After the tete-a-tete, Olmert said he and Abbas discussed issues fundamental to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"We have decided to expand the negotiations between us in order to advance mutual understanding, and formulate the framework that will allow us to move forward toward establishing a Palestinian state," Olmert said. "Our mutual goal is to realize the shared vision between us and [U.S. President George] Bush regarding the establishment of two states for two peoples, who live side by side in security and peace. We want to achieve this as soon as possible."
He said he had no intention of stalling.
During the expanded meeting, the Palestinians spoke of the resumed security cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. They handed a document to Olmert and his aides detailing the PA's steps to enhance security in recent weeks, including the arrest of several members of terror organizations, and captured munitions and explosives that was handed over to Israel
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