(Adds Abbas quote, Arab letter sent to Washington, edits) By Will Rasmussen CAIRO, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Arab foreign ministers held talks on Friday aimed at forging a common position ahead of a U.S.-sponsored peace conference next week on the creation of a Palestinian state. The meeting at the Arab League's Cairo headquarters could provide clues as to whether Saudi Arabia or Syria will join the conference in Annapolis, Maryland, which Washington hopes will launch talks to end six-decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Saudi participation on Nov. 27 could bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's ability to reach an agreement and help Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sell it to Israelis, by holding out the prospect of wider peace with the Arab world. "We are before a historic opportunity. We want to raise our voice loudly. ... We are hoping that we will be together at the conference discussing all tracks, the Palestinian-Israeli track, the Syrian-Israeli track and the Lebanese track," Abbas told journalists during a break from the meeting. Friday's closed-session meeting brings together foreign ministers from the contact group delegated by the Arab League to follow up on a 2002 Arab peace initiative, as well as representatives from some other Arab countries and Abbas. Syria received an official invitation on Wednesday to the Annapolis talks but there was no immediate indication whether it would attend. Damascus has said it will only take part if the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967, is on the agenda. The invitation called for comprehensive Middle East peace but did not mention the Golan Heights, diplomats said. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told journalists that Arab countries had sent a letter on Thursday to Washington requesting the inclusion of the Syrian and Lebanese tracks in the Annapolis talks and were waiting for a reply. WILL SAUDI ARABIA ATTEND? Saudi Arabia has not ruled out the possibility of taking part in the Annapolis conference, according to comments by Crown Prince Sultan carried on state television. Arab and Western diplomats say Riyadh may decide at the last moment to send its foreign minister, but is more likely to send low-level representatives. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said: "The question now isn't going or not going, but the strategic question is how as Arabs do we go? How will our position be built on a central focus that tells everyone we are working for peace and we want peace." "The attendance of all the Arabs would be a boost for us," he added, speaking on the eve of the Arab League meet. The United States has invited about 40 countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria which have no relations with Israel. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks on Thursday with Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah to coordinate positions ahead of the conference. Egypt, a key U.S. ally and one of only two Arab states to have signed a peace treaty with Israel, has offered support for next week's meeting despite initial reservations. It remains unclear how far the peace conference will go to tackle the core issues -- borders, security, settlements, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees -- that have defeated previous efforts to end the conflict. Some Arab countries might not attend unless they see sufficient progress has been made in preparatory talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, diplomats say. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have been struggling to hammer out a joint document before the conference that would address core issues in general terms, and Egypt said it was unclear whether a document would be ready by Tuesday. (Writing by Cynthia Johnston; editing by Dominic Evans)
