Israel's foreign minister has said he wants a Middle East peace conference to be held by June.
However, it is not clear whether the Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat would be welcome to attend.
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Mr Shimon Peres
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Mr Shimon Peres, who is attending a globalisation forum in Rome, said a summit would be the first major step to getting the peace process back on course.
"The proposed date for the time being is June of this year. I don't believe that a venue has been decided," he said. "The idea is to have the conference as the opening occasion for a peace process."
He added that contacts between the two sides in the meantime were crucial to reach a ceasefire.
Asked who would represent the Palestinians at a future conference, Mr Peres said: "We shall welcome a Palestinian delegation. It's for the Palestinians to decide who will represent them."
However, when pressed about whether Mr Arafat would be welcome, he would not answer.
AP