Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting early this week that he would release in the coming days a list of "major" West Bank roadblocks that will be removed, top Palestine Liberation Organization negotiator Saeb Erekat said Saturday.

Erekat said Olmert gave specific assurances to Abbas in the meeting, which took place in the West Bank town of Jericho. "Olmert told Abbas that by next week, the defense minister will submit a whole list of major checkpoints to be removed in the West Bank, to enable the mobility of the Palestinians," Erekat said.

National Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer confirmed Defense Minister Ehud Barak is considering a removal of some roadblocks, but suggested there would not be far-reaching changes. "The safety of Israelis takes precedent," he said.