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Palestinians Call on France to Coordinate for a Successful Peace Conference | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) shakes hands with French special envoy Pierre Vimont before their meeting, in the West Bank city of Ramallah March 15, 2016. REUTERS/Palestinian President Office (PPO)/Handout via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE.


Ramallah- Amid conflicting views and a Palestinian fear from ending up with a convention that does not meet their ambitions, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Oreikat, has called for seriously working on organizing an international conference for peace according to specific priorities, while Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki has asked France for its coordination efforts in this regard.

During his meeting with visiting French Envoy, Pierre Vimont, Oreikat said that holding a successful conference for peace requires relying on the internationally-recognized references and international laws, including U.N. Resolutions.

Oreikat also called on the need to implement the already signed agreements and urged on stopping Israel’s illegal settlement policies in the Palestinian State. In addition, Oreikat asked for releasing the fourth group of prisoners who are currently in Israeli occupied prisons and end the military Israeli occupation according to specific timelines.

Oreikat added that based on the Quartet statement, which constituted a blow to the international legitimacy and law in a bid to jeopardize the French diplomatic efforts, “We have decided to deal with states on bilateral rather than collective bases.”

Oreikat handed the envoy a message to French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, urging Paris to “specify the references for the peace process according to the international laws.”

He said that supporting and protection the two-State solution requires recognizing the State of Palestine next to the State of Israel, as a base for establishing the two States with Israel’s withdrawal to the 1967 borders.

Palestinians are attached to the Conference for Peace as their last chance to revive negations.

Oreikat’s requests came at time when Palestinians are not comfortable with the outcomes of the previous ministerial conference and the recently issued Quartet statement.
An international ministerial conference on the Israel-Palestine conflict settlement was held in the French capital last June.

France is working on holding the International Conference on Peace for the Middle East next autumn, despite Palestinian worries and an Israeli rejection.

Meanwhile, al-Maliki had discussed yesterday with Vimont the needed steps for holding a successful conference at the end of this year.

Al-Maliki stressed the importance of coordination between Palestine and France in the next phase to secure the best results in light of the ministerial meeting and the Palestinian rejection of the Quartet statement, including the possibility of going to the UN Security Council to present a draft resolution on settlement.”