Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Monday that he has prostate cancer and that he will undergo minor surgery in the coming months. He also said that he is still fit to govern.

During a news conference Monday, the premier said in a hasty manner that doctors discovered last week a minor growth in his prostate gland during a medical check-up.

Reuters quotes the prime minister as saying: “There is nothing in the growth that is life-threatening. The surgical procedure itself is planned to take place in the coming months. I will be fit and fully up to my duties before the procedure and within a few hours of its conclusion.”

Mr. Olmert is a fan of fitness and running and he seemed very calm and relaxed while he was making this statement, according to media reports. The medical expert that was with the prime minister when he made the statement said that the operation will only need local anesthetic and that the survival rates are extremely high for this kind of growth.

The prime minister said that the public needs to know the state of his health. Last year, his predecessor Ariel Sharon had a stroke and critics said that he held secret his health problems.

This announcement comes at a difficult time, amid peace negotiations that take place in the Middle East. Olmert is engaged in talks backed by the U.S. with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas and Olmert are seeking a common position to establish a Palestinian state before the peace conference that is to be held in the U. S. in November or December, in Annapolis, Maryland.

When asked if Olmert could be attending the meeting in the U.S., the medical expert said that the prime minister would not be allowed to fly for three weeks after the surgery.

Prostate cancer is a very common form of cancer and grows slowly. It mostly strikes men after the age of 50. Treatments include: surgery, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.