Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon, the top official will focus on the usual topics of the ongoing peace talks.

Abbas expressed his desire to push forwards the staggering peace process revived at the Annapolis peace conference in November, despite Israel's political situation over a corruption scandal that could force Olmert out of office, according to website edition of local daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

During their talks, Olmert, who would set off to Washington Monday evening, protested against letters written by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to the European Union (EU) demanding the 27-member bloc curb its relations with Israel due to its settlement policies.

"This is completely unacceptable to us, and does not represent the relations today between the sides, and returns us to the negative rhetoric of the preceding period," Olmert was quoted by the website.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei also took part in the two-hour meeting.

Speaking at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier before his meeting with Olmert, Abbas said he would bring up to discussion the subject of settlement expansion around Jerusalem during the meeting.

Abbas revealed that there are still large gaps between Israelis and Palestinians in the peace negotiations, noting the Jewish settlement expansion was the principal obstacle that stood in the way of a permanent agreement.

"If Israel doesn't cease construction, we will have difficulty arriving at a peace agreement," he told Steinmeier.

On Sunday, just a day before the two leaders' meeting, Israeli Housing Ministry published a bid for the construction of more than 800 apartment units in east Jerusalem.

Israel's plan to build new apartments in disputed territory has drawn harsh criticism from the Palestinian side which accused Israel of sabotaging the peace talks, and the international community, including Israel's ally the United States.

The US side said such construction was unconducive to the peace efforts which President George W. Bush expected would lead to an independent Palestinian statehood before he steps down in January.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2008)