Israeli President Moshe Katsav also sent congratulations to Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, on the phone, Wafa said without giving further details.

It is the first time that Abbas and Sharon held talks on the phone since Abbas' election as new chairman of the Palestinian National Authority.

Earlier, Israel Radio reported that Sharon told his cabinet that he was intending to telephone Abbas to wish him luck and set up a date for their first ever meeting since 2003.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Palestinian presidential advisor, said on Tuesday that a meeting would be held between Abbas and Sharon after Abbas takes oath of office.

"After the swearing-in and the forming of the new Palestinian government, Abu Mazen will have nothing that will obstruct him from meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Sharon," Abu Rudeineh told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

He added that there are no problems for the Palestinians "to get back to the negotiation table and implement the roadmap peace plan and fulfill its commitments."

Hopes for revival of the long-stalled peace process were stirred after the moderate Palestinian leader Abbas was officially declared the successor to the late Yasser Arafat and Sharon's new coalition government bent on implementing the Gaza pullout plan was approved by Israeli Knesset (Parliament) on Monday.