AMMAN, March 31, 2008 (WAFA)-President Mahmoud Abbas voiced optimism about reaching a peace agreement with Israel by the end of this year.

In a joint press conference Monday with US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice in Amman, President stressed the necessity for the Israeli side to abide by the implementation the first article of the Road Map plane, reopening institutions in Jerusalem and stopping settlements activities.

Abbas added that we support all exerted efforts to reach a reciprocal and comprehensive calm, lift siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and solve the issue of the crossings, which Egypt works for, adding" and this is we support it".

For her part, Rice said that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are on track to produce a peace deal by the end of the year.

"I know that your teams have a lot of hard work ahead of them, but I have to say that I find very impressive the work that is being done and the seriousness of the process, and I think it is all moving in the right direction," she said.

"As to settlement activity, we continue to state America's position that settlement activity should stop - that its expansion should stop," Rice added.