Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insisted on Friday that Israel has to accept the two-state solution and resume the Middle East peace process, a senior Palestinian negotiator said.
Abbas' reiteration on the resumption of the peace process and the call on Israel to accept the two-state solution were made in a meeting Friday in Ramallah with US President Barack Obama's envoy George Mitchell.
Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator, told a join news conference at the end of the meeting that Abbas told Mitchell that the United States is urged to exert pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to accept the principles of peace."
"President Abbas reiterated to peace envoy George Mitchell that the Palestinians are still committed to the principles of peace, mainly to the roadmap peace plan, the two-state solution and the resumption of peace negotiations," said Erekat.
He said that Mitchell told Abbas that he would convey what he heard to the US administration, adding that he will be visiting the area again to follow up the situation.
"We hope that the just thinking of having a peace process would turn soon into achieving a real peace in the region, with ending settlements activities and all other actions that would obstruct achieving this peace," said Erekat.
Meanwhile, Mitchell told reporters that the United States is committed to the principle of establishing a Palestinian state, to achieve the Palestinian aspirations to control their destiny by themselves."
"A Palestinian state is not only a Palestinian interest; it is an interest for Israel and the whole region. The two-state solution is the only best solution," said Mitchell.
(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2009)
