Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is expected to meet in Lisbon on Friday night with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, said Israeli media reports.
If they meet at the conference of the Socialist International, it will be the first meeting between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials since the Israeli national unity government was set up, said The Jerusalem Post.
Knesset member Colette Avital, head of Labor's foreign policy team, is also expected to participate in the meeting, Army Radio reported.
According to Haaretz, Peres said Thursday night that "no meeting has been arranged," the foreign minister said last night. "If there's a need, we'll meet. If not, then we won't. I won't negotiate, but we aren't not talking."
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted by the paper as saying he had spoken with Peres about the trip; the foreign minister, in turn, said he had no differences of opinion with the prime minister over the trip and the possibility of a meeting with Arafat, said Haaretz, which also reported that Arafat does not mind meeting Peres – Albawaba.com
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