Off the wire
• Africa's leading conservationists hail China's ivory ban  • Interview: WHO chief looks forward to China's "particular vision" for global health cooperation  • Interview: WHO chief looks forward to China's "particular vision" for global health cooperation  • French minister dismisses fears of power shortage due to freezing weather  • North China city installing air purifiers in schools  • Greek PM rejects additional measures in exchange for bailout review conclusion  • Sudan says thaw of ties with U.S. will not harm friendly states  • China to seek progress while maintaining stability: Premier  • China's quantum communication satellite delivered for use  • Britain, U.S. tell S. Sudan to retract "reckless" regime change statements  
You are here: 　 Home

Abbas urges last-ditch push to save peace on two-state solution

Xinhua, January 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community on Wednesday not to waste the opportunity of implementing the two-state solution "because this year, it's the last chance."

Abbas made the remarks during a joint news briefing held in the West Bank city of Bethlehem with his visiting Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.

Abbas reiterated during the news briefing that peace for the Palestinians "is strategic."

"I reviewed with President Duda the latest developments and efforts exerted to push forward the peace process as well as the outcomes of Paris Peace Conference," said Abbas.

Abbas expressed the Palestinian side's readiness "to reach an everlasting and comprehensive peace," and stressed on "the necessity of forming an international system to follow up on any political process with a specific time frame."

According to Abbas this can be achieved via international resolutions, mainly the latest 2334 resolution, the Arab peace initiative and signed peace agreements.

He also called on countries which still don't recognize the state of Palestinian, to follow in the footsteps of the 138 countries who do recognize the state of Palestine, the last being the State of the Vatican, which inaugurated an embassy for the state of Palestine.

Asked about the new U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's intentions to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Abbas said "We heard about that, but officially we will wait to hear it when he takes office in the White House."

"Such a measure, if taken, would certainly undermine the peace process, and is illegal of course. It would be the very first time a country moves its embassy to Jerusalem, while all other state embassies are in Tel Aviv."

Meanwhile, the Polish President told reporters "let President Trump officially take office and then we will judge," adding "We hope the U.S. adopts a balanced policy, because it is a strong powerful military and political world country."

President Duda reiterated the necessity of establishing two independent states living side-by-side, and added "peaceful coexistence can be achieved through direct bilateral talks according to the accepted terms by both sides in order to attain permanent peace." Enditem