Olmert, Abbas and negotiating teams to meet

By Adam Entous

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and their negotiating teams will meet on Wednesday to try to narrow differences over a U.S.-led conference on Palestinian statehood.

Israeli government spokesman David Baker said the two leaders would meet one-on-one at Olmert's residence in Jerusalem before huddling with negotiating teams "charged with drafting the joint statement to be given at the international meeting".

"The two leaders will assess what they have reached during previous talks and take it one step further," Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said without offering any specifics.

Olmert is considering giving Abbas's security forces greater control over one or two West Bank towns, Israeli and Western officials said.

Olmert is seeking a broad-brush joint statement for the U.S.-sponsored conference, expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland in mid-to-late November. Abbas wants an explicit "framework" agreement with a timetable for final-status negotiations and for implementing any accords.

No major breakthroughs were expected at the first formal meeting of the negotiating teams on Wednesday.

Israel has released close to 90 Palestinian prisoners this week as a goodwill gesture to Abbas. Abbas's office welcomed the move but said more needed to be done.

It was unclear to what extent Olmert was prepared to delve deeply into the "final status" issues key to the establishment of a Palestinian state -- borders, the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.