Abbas, Sharon to meet amid agreement to coordinate Gaza Strip pullout

Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will meet again soon, Sharon's office said on Friday. Israeli sources told Haaretz newspaper that the meeting is expected to take place before Abbas' scheduled trip to Washington next month.

The announcement came in a statement after officials began renewed talks about Israel's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip. The statement also said Abbas called Sharon to wish him well for Passover.

Earlier, Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Mohammed Dahlan agreed to form "coordination mechanisms" ahead of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza Strip later this year. The two also agreed to continue meeting until the implementation of the pullout. In the meantime, committees on a lower level would coordinate the pullout.