News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will fly to Washington in April and meet with American President George W. Bush, senior PA aides told Reuters News Agency. The president plans to visit Israel the following month and possibly participate in the Jewish state's 60th anniversary of its re-establishment.

American officials said they are checking the report. Abbas's trip is intended to advance negotiations between the PA and Israel. President Bush has stated he wants an agreement before he leaves office next January, but both Israel and the PA have stated that the chances for a final status accord are growing slimmer as time passes and the gaps between the two sides remain.

Abbas also will visit Russia in April to discuss a Russian proposal for another international conference on the Middle East.