The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's call for creation of a Palestinian state.

Obama called for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during Monday's talk with visiting Israeli right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.

"Obama's remarks were encouraging," said Nabil Abu Rdineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Obama also urged Netanyahu to stop building settlements in the West Bank, the land which would made most of the future Palestinian statehood.

However, he added that Netanyahu's speech, which did not mention a Palestinian statehood, "was disappointing."

Abbas is scheduled to visit the United States next week to meet Obama. "We are waiting this meeting to crystallize a unified Arab policy facing the Israeli one," according to the spokesman.

Meanwhile, Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian peace negotiator, rejected Netanyahu's demands that the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state before any peace talks are resumed.

Erekat added that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) recognizes Israel as a state.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2009)