Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos at
his presidential headquarters in Ramallah
on Thursday, where they debated over the peace process, official PA news agency WAFA reported.
Avramopoulos stressed that settlement activities violate international
law and undermine any chances to achieve the internationally backed two-state solution,
affirming his country’s position calling to halt all settlement activities
in order to save the peace process, according to WAFA.
WAFA
reported that the Greek minister emphasized the importance of the peace
process based on the two-state solution in order to establish an
independent state of Palestine.
The minister for foreign affairs underlined the special relations between the Greek and
Palestinian people, telling Abbas that the Palestinian position is a priority of Greek
foreign policy.
Abbas thanked the government and people of Greek for their continuous
support of the Palestinian people.
WAFA
reported the two also discussed US Secretary of State John Kerry's
efforts to revive negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders,
with Abbas stressing the PA's keenness to ensure success of US and
international efforts to resuscitate the process.
Abbas affirmed the Palestinian side’s commitment to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, WAFA reported.http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News
30/5/13
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| Mahmoud Abbas meets Greece's Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in Ramallah May 30, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman |
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Greek minister slams settlements in Abbas meeting ....
ReplyDeletePeres, Abbas meet separately with Dimitris Avramopoulos; while Peres focuses on economy, Abbas looks towards peace talks.
Both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres met separately on Thursday with Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, although the focus of the meetings seemed worlds apart.
Abbas received Avramopoulos at his presidential headquarters in Ramallah on Thursday, where they debated over the peace process, official PA news agency WAFA reported. Avramopoulos stressed to Abbas that settlement activities violate international law and undermine any chances to achieve the internationally backed two-state solution, affirming his country’s position calling to halt all settlement activities in order to save the peace process, according to WAFA.......http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Greek-minister-slams-settlements-in-Ramallah-meeting-314926
30/5/13
EU's Ashton condemns east Jerusalem construction plans....
DeleteEU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday condemned recently reported Israeli building projects in Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem – of 1,100 units – that have been in the pipeline for years.
"Settlements are illegal under international law and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible. The EU has repeatedly urged the Government of Israel to immediately end all settlement activities in the West Bank, including in east Jerusalem, in line with its obligations under the Roadmap," a statement from Ashton's office said.
"Unilateral action by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community," the statement continued.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/EUs-Ashton-condemns-east-Jerusalem-construction-plans-315012
31/5/13
Palestinians, US upset by east Jerusalem building ....
DeleteErekat accuses Israel of sabotaging peace efforts, while J'lem denies new approvals were issued for construction projects.
Israeli officials on Thursday tried to douse a diplomatic fire Channel 10 ignited with its report about two building projects in Jewish neighborhoods of east Jerusalem – of 1,100 units – that have been in the pipeline for years.
These east Jerusalem housing units are a real and official destruction of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts to revive the peace process, Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday.
In response, Israeli officials noted that no new approvals had been given for east Jerusalem housing and that the Palestinians understood this.
“The Palestinians continue to look for excuses to escape negotiations," the official said. “In this case as well, they have raced to the microphone with old recycled arguments and incorrect data, rather than doing the one basic thing – to sit and talk on all the issues.”
“Even now, Israel calls for the immediate opening of direct negotiations.”
A US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said that continued building in east Jerusalem undermined the peace process.
Kerry has expressed his concern to Israel on settlement activity publicly and privately, she said. The issue of settlement building has come up with the Israelis in the last few weeks, she said.
But she cautioned, what is most important is that both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, make the choice to move to negotiations........http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Palestinians-US-upset-by-east-Jerusalem-building-314997
31/5/13
Abbas Receives Greek Foreign Minister in Ramallah....
ReplyDeleteRAMALLAH, May 30, 2013 (WAFA)
– President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday received Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos at his presidential headquarters in Ramallah where they discussed latest developments in the peace process.
They also discussed US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts exerted to revive the stalled peace process.
Abbas stressed the Palestinian leadership’s keenness to insure the success of U.S. and international efforts aimed at saving the peace process, affirming the Palestinian side’s commitment to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
Abbas thanked the government and people of Greek for their continuous support of the Palestinian people.
On his part, Avramopoulos stressed his country’s support of the peace process based on the two-state solution in order to establish an independent state of Palestine.
He stressed that settlement activities violate international law and undermine any chances to achieve the internationally backed two-state solution, affirming his country’s position that calls to stop all settlement activities in order to save the peace process.
He braised the special relations between the Greek and Palestinian people, stressing that the Palestinian position is a priority of Greek foreign policy.
http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=22520
30/5/13
‘Last chance’: Abbas urges UN to pressure Israel over settlements...
ReplyDeleteMahmoud Abbas has described the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian talks as the ‘last chance’ for peace and has called on the international community to seize that chance by following the EU in outlawing Jewish settlements on occupied territories.
Speaking in front of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, the Palestinian president called on the organization’s member states to put pressure on Israel, so that it would give up on its settlement construction program, seen as a major obstacle for current peace talks to end the decades-long conflict.
“Time is running out, the window of peace is narrowing and the opportunities are diminishing. The current round of negotiations appears to be a last chance to realize a just peace,” Abbas said.
He cited the EU as an example of dealing with the issue of the Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands. A new EU policy sees assistance grants – including funds, stipends, scholarships and investments – denied to Israeli entities with any direct or indirect connection to the West Bank, East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
“The position of the European Union with regard to settlement products is a positive model of what is possible to be done in order to ensure an environment supportive of the negotiations and the peace process,” Abbas told the UN General Assembly.
While pledging full commitment to negotiations with Israel, which resumed in July after a three-year stalemate, Abbas has also said that his own 20-year efforts at striking a deal with Israel left him with “dispiriting and bleak” picture of prospects for reaching a resolution.
The president stressed Palestine wanted a “permanent and comprehensive” agreement.
“Here, we reaffirm that we refuse to enter into a vortex of a new interim agreement that becomes eternalized, or to enter into transitional arrangements that will become a fixed rule rather than an urgent exception.” ....http://rt.com/news/abbas-un-speech-israel-429/
27/9/13