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Abbas: Arab League to Support 2002 Peace Initiative | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas looks on as Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki (not seen) sign an agreement and a memorandum of understanding, in the West Bank city of Ramallah September 14, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman


Ramallah – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the upcoming Arab League Summit in Amman would witness overwhelming support to the Arab Peace Initiative as the only means to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East.

Speaking at a joint news conference with the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, Abbas said: “All the eyes of the Arab states will be turned toward the capitals of the world, especially Washington to see what can be done by this administration who said it wants to reach peace.”

“The world is completely convinced that neither could the events taking place around us and across the world nor the issue of terrorism can be handled without solving the Palestinian question,” he added.

He also noted that the upcoming Arab League summit in Amman, Jordan, would express support for a peace deal based on the Arab Peace Initiative, which was adopted in 2002.

Abbas welcomed current international and Arab efforts to advance comprehensive and just peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

“We welcome these efforts aimed to achieve comprehensive and just peace between us and the Israelis towards the realization of the two-state solution, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within secure, internationally recognized borders,” Abbas stated.

He lauded efforts to support “the Palestinian people and their quest to achieve freedom and independence based on relevant United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

Abbas told reporters that he was expecting a date to be set for his visit to the White House following an official invitation from President Donald Trump.

He expressed hopes that Palestinian-US official meetings would pave the way to a US-led peace.

Abbas’ talks with Ivanic came two days after his meeting with US special envoy Jason Greenblatt, as the Trump administration made its first major step into the Israeli Palestinian peace process.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad al-Maliki said it was too soon to talk about the resumption of negotiations.

During a radio interview, Maliki said that Greenblatt’s visit to the region was aimed at listening to both sides’ views on the peace process.