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Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume December 23: Abbas
AFP, December
13, 2007
AMMAN, Dec 13,
2007 (AFP) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet
on December 23 for their second round of talks since
reviving the Middle East peace process last month,
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday.
"The
Palestinians are committed to make the negotiations with
Israel a success. We held talks with Israel on Wednesday and
agreed to meet again on December 23," Abbas said following
talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman.
Israeli Foreign
Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian prime minister
Ahmed Qorei held talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday for the
first time since the two sides agreed at US-brokered talks
last month to try to reach a deal by the end of 2008.
But Israel's
recent decision to expand a settlement in east Jerusalem
dominated the meeting and the Palestinians demanded the
Jewish state halt all settlement activity.
"Abbas and King
Abdullah agreed that Israel's plan to build more settlement
violates peace principles and obstructs any political
progress," a palace statement said.
The Palestinian
leader's unannounced visit to Jordan comes ahead of a donor
meeting in Paris on December 17 aimed at providing economic
support for the peace process.
"The King and I
discussed the conference and means to coordinate efforts to
deal with it and help ease the suffering of the
Palestinians," Abbas said.
Palestinian
officials have said they would request 7.1 billion dollars
(4.8 billion euros) in economic aid at the Paris conference.
Abbas meanwhile
said US President George W. Bush's visit next month to the
region "proves that he is committed to achieving peace."
He said the
Palestinians were looking forward to "firm" US efforts
"particularly when it comes to Israeli settlements and
advancing the peace process forward." |
