Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday to brief him on his talks in Washington about Middle East peace.
The meeting took place late Wednesday afternoon, hours after anIsraeli girl and a Palestinian boy were killed in a fresh spasm ofviolence.
Neither Sharon nor Blair spoke to reporters as they went into their meeting, held in Downing Street, Blair's official residence.
Sharon stopped off in London on his return to Israel after meeting United States President George W. Bush, who expressed support for Israel's military reprisals for Palestinian suicide attacks.
British officials said Blair discussed the conflict in a phone call with King Abdullah of Jordan earlier on Wednesday.
Sharon has said he sees the creation of a Palestinian state only after a complete end to Palestinian attacks on Israelis and following a long, drawn-out peace process.
But Blair made it clear last week when he was talking with visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he would support the founding of a Palestinian state and that is vital to the Middle East peace process.
After talks with Blair, Sharon is expected to continue his triphome to Israel.
At least 1,394 Palestinians and 509 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinians rose up against Israeli occupation in September 2000 after peace talks stalled.
(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2002)
