Contacts go on to hold int'l peace conference before December: Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that contacts are still going on to hold the international conference for peace in the Middle East before the end of this year.

Abbas told a convention for his Fatah Party held in Ramallah that the contacts are held with all international parties and in coordination with French side to gain enough international support for holding the peace conference.

He said the Palestinians back the French initiative for holding the international conference for peace and resolving the Palestinian cause, according to the Palestinian state-run news agency WAFA.

"Solving the Palestinian cause is by establishing an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital in 1967 borders," said Abbas.

On July 3, Paris hosted an international ministerial meeting which included the foreign ministers of 25 countries, including four Arab states, and debated the revival of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Last peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians were sponsored by the United States in 2014, lasted for nine months and ended in April without reaching an agreement to end their conflict that has been going on for decades.

Meanwhile, Abbas stressed that holding the municipal elections in the Palestinian territories in October is "a national commitment and essential for the Palestinian people." Endit