Israel will not attend an international conference Britain is planning to host, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday.
Last week, press reports indicated that Tel Aviv was ready to participate in the summit.
The Palestinians want the conference to deal with "final status issues," including borders and the future of Jerusalem, while Israel just wants to discuss economic issues and reforms.
In a meeting Monday with visiting Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, Sharon stated that "we will not participate, but we understand its importance," according to a statement by Sharon's office.
"We do not consider this event to be a political conference, and that is what we were told," Sharon said.
