Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are to meet very soon, possibly within hours, Palestinian information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said Monday.
Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami also predicted a meeting "before the end of this week," but a spokesman for Barak's office said no date had been set.
Speaking on Voice of Palestine radio, Aed Rabbo said that Barak and Arafat would meet late Monday or early Tuesday, after which negotiations would resume in Washington.
Ben Ami for his part told Israeli military radio: "I think that such a meeting will take place before the end of the week."
He added: "A meeting between the two is very important for creating a climate of confidence" in order to reach a peace agreement.
Arafat and Barak have not had substantive talks since the failed Camp David summit in July -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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