The United States plans to invite Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon and about a dozen other Muslim countries to the international conference on the Middle East this year, according to Palestinian Authority Information Minister Riyad Al-Maliki although the Bush administration has insisted that no invitations have been issued.

Officials also have not confirmed reports that the meeting will take place in the Maryland capital of Annapolis and have not set a date. Recent reports stated that the conference may be delayed until the end of next month or early December to allow PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert more time to close a wide gap in their positions.

The list of invitees as revealed by the PA includes major western countries, Japan, China, the Gulf states, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen, Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia.