Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas of his intention to resume negotiations aimed at establishing peace among the peoples of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, BBC Russian said.

On March 31, Netanyahu took office. The telephone conversation with Abbas was the first official contact between two politicians. The Palestinian leader made the initiative to have a conversation and Netanyahu's office called this initiative "friendly and warm".

The new Israeli PM still refrains from establishing an independent Palestinian state, and this is the basic issue of all proposals on peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

An official Israeli communiqué says that "Netanyahu cited as an example the cooperation with Palestine and stated that he would resume the relations in the future.

Netanyahu heads an expanded ruling coalition which includes right central, left central and extreme right parties.

During an election campaign, Netanyahu said that he was prepared to launch negotiations with Palestinians, but believed it was too early to speak about establishment of Palestinian state. He proposed an economic truce to Palestinians.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the extreme right party Israel is Our House, denies peace initiatives, which continue to make the U.S. administration.

Saeb Erekat, representative from Palestine at peace negotiations, repeated Palestine's position, which envisages Israeli's agreement to co-exist with an independent Palestinian state.