Bush holds talks with Abbas upon arrival in Ramallah

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-10 19:46

RAMALLAH -- US President George W. Bush arrived here on Thursday morning and held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at al-Muqara'a, headquarters of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in Ramallah.

U.S. President George W. Bush and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speak to reporters following their meeting at the Muqata presidential compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah January 10, 2008. [Agencies]

Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh told reporters that President Abbas is meeting President Bush, during which many issues related to the peace process, such as the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and the Israeli expansion of settlements, would be discussed.

Meanwhile, the sources with Abbas' office said that the meeting between the two presidents would last at least two hours.

Due to bad weather conditions in the West Bank on Thursday morning, Bush had to cancel a flight by helicopter but take car to Ramallah to meet with President Abbas, the sources at Abbas' office told reporters earlier.

The Doha-based pan-Arab satellite channel of al-Jazeera, which broadcast live from both Jerusalem and Ramallah, also showed the roads are covered with snow.

But the sources stressed that "there are no changes in the time schedule for the meeting."



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