Abbas: US can mediate peace talks with other parties

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that the US can work as a mediator in peace talks to end the Palestine-Israel conflict in conjunction with the EU.

During a joint meeting with the German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in Ramallah, Abbas told journalists: “We trust the German and French role through the EU along with the United States to reach a permanent and just peace in the region.”

Abbas renewed his commitment to the two-state solution as a basis “to create a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders and to live in peace and security with the state of Israel.”

He added: “We are sticking to the culture of peace in spite of all the pressure imposed on us like the issue of Jerusalem and the aid cuts to UNRWA. We also stress on fighting terror everywhere.”

“Germany plays an important role in the world and in the Middle East. We thank it for voting in favour of the Jerusalem motion at the UN General Assembly last month.”

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