Meet on 'road map' to ME peace delayed

Israel and the Palestinians yesterday delayed a meeting of their prime ministers on the US-backed 'road map' to peace that had been planned for today, officials on both sides said.

Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr said in a statement that the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas had been put off for "technical reasons."

He said he still expected the talks to go ahead at some stage in the next 48 hours. Other Palestinian officials said they hoped the meeting would be held tomorrow.

An Israeli political source also said a meeting had been planned today but that the Palestinians had sought a postponement because of a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah by Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio.

"No new date was set," the Israeli source said.

They made their statements after Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said in Greece that the meeting would go ahead today. It appeared Shaath had not been informed of the change of plans.

Sharon and Abbas are expected also to meet next week at a summit with US President George W Bush, probably in Jordan's Red Sea port city of Aqaba.

Today's meeting had been expected to help prepare for the three-way summit following Israel's endorsement of the road map on Sunday, despite its reservations.