Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that he is not yet prepared to accept an invitation to an international peace conference in Russia next month, according to Army Radio.  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov extended the invitation in a meeting with Olmert.  The conference will focus on the conflict between Israel and Syria, and is meant to be a continuation of the Annapolis conference held in the United States last year.

Olmert said he was not rejecting the invitation, but wanted to examine the issue more thoroughly before making a commitment.  Specifically, he said, Israel must determine whether or not the conference will advance negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.