Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government said today that talks on Palestinian statehood could be completed six months after a US-sponsored Middle East conference.
Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki said those negotiations would be based on a joint document to be presented by Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the conference, expected to be held next month.
Mr Malki said that document would address final status issues such as borders, the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, but would not go into "the minute details".
Mr Abbas and Mr Olmert agreed yesterday that final status negotiations would begin after the conference. Israeli officials said those talks would be conducted without setting a specific timeline for reaching a final deal.
But Mr Malki told a news conference that Mr Abbas expected the final status talks to last "for six months at most", because much of the groundwork had been covered in earlier talks.
Mr Malki said the agreement would be presented to the countries that took part in the conference and would be brought before the Palestinian public in a referendum.