Abbas optimistic about US-backed ME conference

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said yesterday during a visit to Indonesia that he was optimistic of a concrete outcome from a planned international conference on peace in the Middle East.
The conference on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, called by US President George W Bush and expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, by year-end, has revived hopes of advancing a moribund Middle East peace process.
"We are going into this conference with optimism that we will reach a concrete outcome that is going to be positive for our people, which is long overdue," he said in a speech to Indonesian scholars and diplomats.
The president is in the midst of a tour of key Muslim powers in Asia to drum up support ahead of the conference.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation and has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle for nationhood. It has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Abbas said a document being drafted by his government in conjunction with the Israelis to form a basis for the conference would deal with six main issues: borders, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, security and water.
"These are complicated issues," he conceded.
"We are determined to do our best to reach a consensus. But even if we don't, at least we are trying to determine the basics that need to be prepared to handle these issues," he said.