Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington, D.C., on Tuesday with the goal to "seriously and responsibly" advance a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Direct talks are scheduled to begin Thursday in Washington between Israeli and Palestinian leaders -- the first such talks since 2008.
On Sunday night, Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak secretly met in Amman, Jordan, the latter's office confirmed. However, officials did not release details about the meeting.
"I am convinced that if the Palestinian leadership approaches these talks with the same degree of seriousness as [us], we will be able to advance toward a stable agreement that will ensure peace and security for both peoples and will contribute to the security and stability of the region," Netanyahu said Sunday.
In a speech Sunday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he is traveling to Washington with the support of Arab governments. CNN
