JERUSALEM, April 15, 2007, (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to discuss the political horizon of peace in the region.

The meeting is the first between the President and Israeli Primer since they agreed during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last month to meet every two weeks.

Head of the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department, Dr. Saeb Erikat, said that President Abbas enlightened Israeli Primer, Ehud Olmert, on the importance of the Arab initiative as a strategic choice for all Arabs.

Speaking in a press conference held in Ramallah following the meeting, Erikat revealed that this meeting was different since the two leaders discussed for the first time the issue of political horizon of peace.

Erikat said that the two leaders discussed the ways to reach a significant peace process leads to end occupation of 67 territories and to establish a Palestinian independent state.

He also pointed out that the meeting tackled the current political horizon and the steps need to be taken in order to bring visions of two states into a real political track, adding that Palestinians and Israelis cannot reach peace agreement without solving issues of refugees, Jerusalem, settlements and borders.

Erikat concluded by affirming that the President and Olmert agreed to hold their next meeting in the West Bank city of Jericho.

H.M (19:55 P)-(16:55 GMT)