Cairo – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pledged to Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday to bring up the issue of the “Palestinian State” in the expected meeting with US President Donald Trump next month.
During the talks between the two officials in Cairo, el-Sisi said he was working ceaselessly to reach a comprehensive peace deal that will lead to an independent state of Palestine according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Egyptian President asserted that Arab unit, based on the Arab peace initiative, should serve as a major factor in reaching a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause.
“President el-Sisi also affirmed that the Palestinian issue will be on the table during his discussions with US President Donald Trump in Washington next month,” spokesman for the Egyptian presidency Alaa Yousef said in a statement.
During their meeting at the Heliopolis Palace in Cairo, el-Sisi and Abbas tackled the latest humanitarian, economic and security developments in the Occupied Territories, in addition to efforts to restart stalled peace talks between Israel and the PA.
Relations between Egypt and the PA witnessed some tensions recently due to disputes concerning the internal reconciliation with the Fatah Movement.
Tensions emerged after the Palestinians refused to participate in a regional peace initiative that Egypt had proposed to host. Relations also took a hit after Egypt postponed the submission of its UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements. The Palestinian reactions that followed Cairo’s decision also upset leaders in Egypt.
On Monday, Abbas hailed the Egyptian efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian cause, as well its political actions to provide protection to the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian leader then updated the Egyptian president with the recent contacts made with the new US administration during which he voiced determination to reach a comprehensive solution to the conflict with Israel.
Abbas arrived in Cairo early on Sunday upon an invitation by the Egyptian president to hold talks ahead of the upcoming Arab League summit in Jordan, scheduled for March 28 and 29. Abbas left Cairo to return to the West Bank at the conclusion of his talks with el-Sisi.