JERUSALEM - Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia wants assurances from Secretary of State Colin Powell in meetings next week that the timetable in the "road map" peace plan will be honored and the Palestinians will have a state in 13 months.

President Bush said recently that Palestinian statehood could take four years to achieve, a delay Qureia said would be "dangerous" as it would give Israel more time to expand its presence in the West Bank.

The Bush administration said Friday that the parties could move as fast as they are able toward a two-state solution.

Powell and foreign ministers from Britain, Russia and other nations are traveling to the Middle East in hopes of restarting peace efforts following the death of longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Palestinian officials said Powell would arrive for talks in the West Bank town of Jericho on Monday. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was expected on Wednesday and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos on Dec. 2.

Signaling new flexibility, Sharon has dropped a key demand for the resumption of negotiations - a Palestinian crackdown on militant groups. A top adviser to Sharon said Friday that peace talks could resume if the Palestinians showed some goodwill.

"Israel is ready to move forward," Gissin told The Associated Press. "The first business is stop the industry of hatred ... cut back on the propaganda. Stop the incitement. Put to rest Arafat's legacy, not just Arafat."

The head of the U.N. welfare agency appealed Friday for funds to tackle rising economic hardship in the Palestinian territories, arguing that even a revival of the peace process following Arafat's death will fail to ease widespread poverty.