国际英语新闻：Abbas sees no possible summit with Netanyahu: official

RAMALLAH, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A possible summit involving Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Paris has not been fixed, a Palestinian official said Thursday.

"There are no preparations for such a meeting," an official at Abbas' office said on condition of anonymity.

Israeli Army radio reported Wednesday that French President Nicolas Sarkozy had invited Palestinian, Israeli and Egyptian leaders to Paris in a bid to push forward Middle East peace negotiations brokered by the United States.

However, the official said that Abbas and Netanyahu would attend a summit of the union for the Mediterranean countries on Oct. 21 "and if they met, the meeting will be part of the Mediterranean union summit."

"That meeting would have no relation to the political peace process and doesn't mean the continuation of the negotiations," he said.

The Palestinians suspended the direct peace talks protesting Israel's refusal to extend a partial moratorium on Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank.

The Israeli reports said that Abbas is waiting for a consultative opinion from the Arab League's follow-up committee on how to respond to the expiry of the 10-month building freeze.