Friday, March 18, 2011

Abbas heads to the United Kingdom for talks on peace (AFP)

RAMALLAH, Palestinian territories (AFP)-Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas is heading to the United Kingdom late Sunday for a one-day visit to discuss the stalled peace process with Israel.


Abbas was scheduled to hold talks with Prime minister David Cameron and foreign minister William Hague on Monday before heading to Denmark.


"Conversations with Cameron and Håg will take the situation in the Middle East, the faltering peace process and isrælske settlement activities, as well as the forthcoming meeting of the Quartet," said spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina Abbass.


Middle East Quartet of peacemakers--United States, which groups Russia, the European Union and the United Nations--is expected to meet in Paris later this month for talks aimed at jump-starting the peace process.


Abu Rudeina said Abbass meetings in London will also examine "ways to support and promote the peace process in isrælske intransigence and continued settlement activities, which have stalled the negotiations."


He said Abbas would also discuss European efforts to support the peace process, which ground to a halt shortly after direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to restart in September 2010 for the issue of settlement building.


Israel has refused to renew a partial settlement construction moratorium which expired shortly after Washington relaunched direct negotiations between the two sides.


The Palestinians have refused to hold negotiations while Israel builds on land they want for a future State, which led to an impasse.


Isrælske media reports in the past week have suggested that isrælske prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may draw up an interim peace agreement, which would give the Palestinians a temporary mode on a limited part of the West Bank.


But the Palestinians have already said they will not accept any agreement which does not include a permanent solution of all the so-called final status issues, including borders, Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees status.

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