JERUSALEM - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrives on a three-day visit to Israel and the West Bank on Sunday for talks with both Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.
His visit, along with the expected arrival of over 30 international statesmen for the opening of the new Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, comes amid intense international efforts to kick start the Middle East peace process.
The UN chief was expected to hold talks with Sharon in Jerusalem on Sunday evening before travelling to the West Bank town of Ramallah for talks with Abbas on Monday, official sources said.
The international community has remained upbeat on the chances of peace since a landmark Middle East summit in Egypt last month and the emergence of a moderate Palestinian leadership following the November death of Yasser Arafat.
Around 30 prime ministers, foreign ministers and dignitaries from all over the world are to converge on Jerusalem in the next three days to attend a high-profile inauguration ceremony for the new museum at Yad Vashem.
On the sidelines, visiting officials will hold talks with Sharon and Abbas -- likely to focus on maximising the potential after the February summit, where Sharon and Abbas declared an end to more than four years of violence.
Since then, the Palestinians have accused Israel of prevaricating over carrying out confidence-building gestures and Israel has repeatedly blamed the Palestinian Authority for not doing enough to hunt down militants.
Annan last met Abbas on March 1 in London at a day-long international conference, where the Palestinian leader laid out an ambitious programme of security, political and economic reform.
At the time, the UN leader said he saw a "moment of promise and potential" in the Middle East, so long as key players keep their eyes on the ultimate prize of a lasting peace.
His scheduled talks with Abbas on Monday, come one day before the Palestinian leader holds key talks with the Palestinian factions in Cairo.
Abbas has said he expects a formal ceasefire to be agreed at the conference. Militant faction Hamas announced Sunday that it would contest parliamentary elections in July, ending a long-standing boycott of mainstream politics.
03/13/2005 07:43 GMT