U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni met Saturday with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, continuing his diplomatic mission to lay the foundation for peace in the Middle East. After his talks with Erakat, Zinni was scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Saturday night at Sharon's Negev farm in southern Israel, Sharon's office said. Zinni described his meetings so far as "extremely positive," adding that he believed both sides wanted peace. Erakat said after his meeting with Zinni that he believed the envoy was "exerting maximum efforts on both sides," but that a key Palestinian demand must be met: the removal of Israeli troops in Palestinian-controlled areas.