Livni and Qurei conclude Washington meeting over joint statement

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Qurei (Abu Ala) concluded their meeting in Livni's Washington hotel on Sunday night to try to hammer out a joint statement the day before the Annapolis conference. When asked by reporters if he was optimistic about the summit, Qurei said: "If I wasn't optimistic, I wouldn't have come."