Palestinian and Israeli negotiators failed to reach an agreement setting out the contours of future negotiations, a top Palestinian official said Monday after the talks held at the U.S. State Department.

"There is still work to be done, and efforts have been made, but so far we have not reached an agreement," chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmad Qorei said.

Qorei made the remarks after his talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni with the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice met with both Qorei and Livni in an effort to reach an agreement between the two sides.

Palestinian officials have hinted that they might be able to reach an agreement with the Israeli side before the formal opening of the Middle East peace conference due on Tuesday.

Nearly 50 countries and international organizations will attend the Middle East peace conference due to take place in Annapolis, Maryland. However, analysts have expressed pessimism over the prospect of the peace conference as the Israelis and Palestinians fail to narrow their differences.

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2007)