Arab League foreign ministers are set to meet in Cairo to decide whether to attend next week's Middle East peace conference in the US.

The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, will brief the ministers on the progress of his preliminary talks with Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.

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Some Arab countries may therefore choose not to go to Annapolis.

The discussions at the Arab League will play an important role in determining which Arab countries will be represented at Annapolis and at what level.

Before deciding, the ministers will first listen to a report from the Palestinian president about his talks with the Israelis.

Deeply sceptical

Hisham Yussef, a senior Arab League official, says that the ministers' decision will be "a positive one" if they believe that the Annapolis talks will lead to a "reasonable outcome that would allow progress to be achieved".

The US and Israel want the widest possible Arab participation, and have been pressing in particular for the Saudi Foreign Minister to attend.

But the Arabs remain deeply sceptical about Israel's willingness to make concessions for a peace agreement.

Some governments, however, say that having urged the US for seven years to relaunch peace talks, they cannot now stay away.

Egypt has already said it will send its foreign minister.

(BBC)

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