RAMALLAH - PALESTINIAN president Mahmud Abbas will travel to Washington on December 19 for talks with US President George W. Bush and will fly to Moscow a few days later, his spokesman said on Friday.

Abbas and Bush will discuss the status of Middle East peace efforts since Israeli-Palestinian talks were relaunched at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland in November 2007, Nabil abu Rudeina said.

The Palestinian leader will also meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who together with Mr Bush played a key role in reviving the talks after a seven-year hiatus.

All sides have acknowledged they will be unable to meet the goal, declared at Annapolis, of inking a peace treaty before Mr Bush leaves office in January.

The already slow-moving peace talks have been further affected by political uncertainty ahead of Feb 10 snap elections that were scheduled after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert presented his resignation over a series of allegations of graft.

Mr Abbas's trip comes less than three weeks after Mr Olmert, who remains at the helm of a caretaker government, also paid a farewell visit to Mr Bush.

Following his trip to Washington, Mr Abbas will fly on to Moscow on December 22 for talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Mr Rudeina said. -- AFP