AMMAN, Jan 29 (AFP) - Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmud Abbas said Saturday he was still working to secure an agreement with Palestinian factions for a ceasefire with Israel.
"The Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue must be pursued because the Palestinian factions still have mutual issues that need to be followed up," Abbas told reporters in Amman after an official visit to Egypt.
Earlier, a senior Palestinian official said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet Abbas in two weeks -- set to be the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in over four years -- fueling optimism about progress towards peace.
In Cairo, Abbas briefed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on his efforts to secure a formal truce from Palestinian militant groups to cement a recent informal lull in anti-Israeli attacks.
He is expected to leave for Moscow on Sunday, while Palestinian foreign minister Nabil Shaath, who accompanied Abbas to Egypt, said he would go to Syria to discuss the latest Palestinian developments.
Shaath said the PA was "very close to a national agreement" with militants.
To that end, Egyptian officials and representatives of Palestinian factions will meet in the first week of February and if successful, Cairo would host a broader meeting of all Palestinian factions, Shaath told reporters in Jordan.
01/29/2005 17:53 GMT - AFP