Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met Palestinian Prime Minster Salam Fayyad in Jerusalem yesterday for the first time since the Palestinian leader took office, officials said.
"The discussion dealt primarily with the situation in the Palestinian Authority and the ways of improving the lives of the residents in the territories while preserving Israeli security interests," Ms Livni's office said.
An official in Mr Fayyad's office said the meeting with Ms Livni dealt with "broader political issues, not just removing a checkpoint here and there".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah disbanded a Hamas-led government and appointed Mr Fayyad as prime minister in an emergency government after Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip on June 14th.
Ms Livni and Mr Fayyad discussed "ways through which the Arab world could support the political process in a way that strengthens the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians," Ms Livni's office said.
Israeli officials said that an Arab League delegation from Egypt and Jordan has proposed visiting Israel this week for long-delayed talks on an Arab peace initiative.