Israel and the Palestinians put a positive gloss today on talks between their prime ministers ahead of a three-way summit led by US President George W. Bush on promoting a peace "road map".
Israel announced a series of goodwill gestures towards the Palestinians, including plans to release some prisoners, but failed to agree on terms for an Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank and Gaza Strip envisioned in the US-backed plan.
A statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said the two-and-half-hour meeting in Jerusalem yesterday evening with his Palestinian counterpart Mr Mahmoud Abbas had been conducted in a "positive and very good atmosphere".
Mr Abbas, who is also known as Abu Mazen, described the talks as "serious, candid and beneficial", his press secretary said. "It was a positive meeting and with good results," Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr said.
But there appeared to be little chance of putting the peace proposal into motion before Mr Bush meets the two leaders in a June 4th summit in Jordan.