Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke this evening, with UN Secy.-Gen. Kofi Annan, who telephoned in order to congratulate him on his election victory. 

The latter said that a great challenge awaits the former and added that he expects to work in partnership with him. 

The UN Secy.-Gen. said that the elections for the 17th Knesset were a major and important political event and added that an opportunity has been created to move the diplomatic process forward and to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert thanked UN secy.-Gen. Annan for his congratulations and said that it was his goal to advance the diplomatic process, adding that he had appealed to Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen and told him that he must advance the Roadmap and that the PA must meet the three demands that the international community has put to Hamas in order to advance the negotiations between the sides.