ULAN BATOR U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright faces a difficult task bridging the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. State Department Spokesman Kames Rubin said here Saturday. There are significant gaps between the Israeli and Palestinian positions that the secretary will seek to overcome, Rubin said after Albright arrived in Mongolia for a six-hour visit. But this will be a difficult task.

Rubin said Albright assessed the situation after speaking to U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who was in Israel. At this point, she has no reason to think that we are in a position to bridge the gaps but we will try to do so, Rubin said. This process cannot go on indefinitely, and there are grave dangers if we can't get back on track, he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are due to meet separately with Albright in London on Monday to tackle a U.S. proposal designed to resolve issues left over from interim peace accords and to launch negotiations on a final peace settlement. On Friday Netanyahu said after meeting with Gore that it would take a considerable stretch to reach agreement in the London talks.

Meanwhile the Palestinian Authority warned that a breakdown in Middle East talks in London could lead to a return to violence, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said Friday. (AFP)