Sharon and Abbas receive peace plan

US diplomats met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and newly-elected Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas yesterday to present them with an internationally backed Mideast peace plan that envisions Palestinian statehood within three years.

A convoy of diplomatic vehicles arrived at Mr Sharon’s house in Jerusalem yesterday afternoon.

Terje Larsen, the United Nations envoy to the Middle East, said in the West Bank town of Ramallah that the so-called roadmap was presented to Abbas about 90 minutes later. The delivery to Mr Sharon came hours after Mr Abbas was sworn in as Palestinian prime minister, and a suicide attacker killed three others at a Tel Aviv bar.