US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Israel to take more concrete steps to ease the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank on her latest trip to the region to boost sluggish peace efforts.

"We hope to improve the opportunities around the West Bank for people to have economic opportunity in a secure environment." Rice told reporters after meeting president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank political capital of Ramallah.

She went on to say that the changes should haw "a real effect on the lives of people." adding that US mediators were "trying to look not just at quantity but also at the quality of improvements. "

Rice said at the press conference that improving conditions in the West Bank depended on "responsible actions" by .Abbas's Palestinian Authority which she said "are really now taking place."

On her last visit to the region.

Rice secured an Israeli pledge to remow some 50 of the 500 plus roadblocks across the occupied West Bank, but the Palestinians and die UN said the move was largely insignificant.

Rice specifically praised the decision to deploy some 600 Palestinian police reinforcements to the town of Jenin as part of a security’ crackdown in the north of the territory aimed at building confidence with Israel.

"Because of that I think you are going to see improvements in the West Bank and the Israelis will also really have to do their part." she added.

On her 15th visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories in less than two years. Rice said she remained hopeful that the two sides could strike a peace deal by the time US President George W. Bush leaves office in 2009.

/Abbas meanwhile told the same press conference that "the negotiations are being carried on every day and every hour.

"Everyone seems serious, and expresses hope that we will arrive at an agreement to establish a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem this year," he added

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he will meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Monday.

Olmert made the announcement Sunday at the regular weekly meeting of his Cabinet. Palestinian officials had previously said the meeting would take place Monday in Jerusalem.

Rice travelled to Ramallah to meet with after holding a three-way meeting with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad on efforts to improve conditions in the West Bank.

"There was an agreement that we will go back and take a look at ways to have a clear sense of what the qualitative effect is. that is, the significance of any improvement of access on the lives of the Palestinian people." Rice said.