Olmert's departure may threaten peace talks with Syria

While Ehud Olmert's days as prime minister are numbered, as the Kadima Party primary election nears, he is continuing his efforts to push indirect peace talks with Syria forward until the last possible moment.

Turkey, whose mediation has made indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria possible, announced on Sunday that an additional round of talks will take place this Thursday.

But the pace of negotiations is likely to slow down if Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni replaces Olmert.

Olmert has announced that he will step down from his post as prime minister after his party selects a successor in the primary elections, scheduled for Wednesday.