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Palestinian Stand on Direct Negotiations Remains Unchanged – President Abbas | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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London, Asharq Al-Awsat- On the eve of his trip to Cairo to attend the meeting of the Arab Follow-up Committee tomorrow, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas told Asharq Al-Awsat: “There is no change in the Palestinian stand on moving to direct negotiations, which is, Israel’s agreement to withdraw to the 1967 borders and to stop the settlement activity.”

President Abbas met while in Amman with Jordanian King Abdullah II and several foreign officials, among them Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos and David Hill, senior aide to US Peace Envoy George Mitchell. He added: “There is nothing new in the stand and we will explain the situation as it is to the committee.” He then went on to say: “We are waiting to hear what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told King Abdullah II.”

The Jordanian king met Netanyahu for two hours in Amman during an unannounced visit, the first since May 2009. Though no details were leaked about the meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai, Foreign Minister Nasir Judah, and Intelligence Director Muhammad Rakad, Israeli sources were cited as saying that Netanyahu asked King Abdullah II to pressure President Abbas into accepting the direct negotiations.