WEST BANK: U.S. envoy meets Palestinian President Abbas, calls for Palestinian statehood.

Record ID: 561775

  • Title: WEST BANK: U.S. envoy meets Palestinian President Abbas, calls for Palestinian statehood.
  • Date: 11th June 2009
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (JUNE 10, 2009) (REUTERS) CONVOY CARRYING US SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST GEORGE MITCHELL ARRIVING AT PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND MITCHELL LEAVING CAR, GREETING PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS PALESTINIAN FLAG PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS ESCORTING MITCHELL INTO BUILDING MITCHELL AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS SITTING ABBAS TALKING MITCHELL TALKING MEDIA CREWS MITCHELL AND ABBAS SHAKING HANDS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING AFTER THE MEETING SECURITY MEN TALKING ABBAS AND PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT APPROACHING MICROPHONES (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST GEORGE MITCHELL SAYING: "The only viable resolution to this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states. Israelis and Palestinians have a responsibility to meet their obligations under the 'road map'." MEDIA CREWS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST GEORGE MITCHELL SAYING: "And we all share an obligation to create the conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations. We are now engaged in serious discussions with our Israeli, Palestinian and other regional partners to support this effort." SECURITY MEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR SAEB EREKAT SAYING: "Every effort should be exerted not to waste any more time, not to employ delaying tactics. Issues are very, very clear, very clear cut. I think time is now for decisions, not for negotiations, not for public relations games, not for linguistic stunts, and Mr. Netanyahu knows exactly his obligations emanating from the 'road map'. He knows exactly that the 'road map' is not a conditional sequential. It's a parallel performance road map - he implements, I implement at the same time." CAR DRIVING NEXT TO PALESTINIAN PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUND
  • Embargoed: 26th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3VKWPY8U7UCOTQECU1N35I1M9
  • Story Text: U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell assured the Palestinians on Wednesday (June 10) of Washington's commitment to a state of their own, calling its establishment the only viable solution to their conflict with Israel.
    Mitchell, speaking after talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, called on both sides to meet their obligations under a 2003 peace "road map" that commits Israel to halting settlement expansion and Palestinians to reining in militants.
    Mitchell had made clear that "The only viable resolution to this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states. Israelis and Palestinians have a responsibility to meet their obligations under the 'road map'," he said.
    His comments underscored a rare rift in U.S.-Israeli relations. Netanyahu has not publicly endorsed Palestinian statehood and has said that construction in existing settlements in the occupied West Bank would continue.
    Reiterating remarks he made in talks with Israeli leaders on Tuesday (June 9), Mitchell said in the West Bank city of Ramallah that Washington was seeking "prompt resumption and early conclusion" of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
    "And we all share an obligation to create the conditions for the prompt resumption and early conclusion of negotiations. We are now engaged in serious discussions with our Israeli, Palestinian and other regional partners to support this effort," he said, before continuing the latest leg of his mission on a tour taking him to Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.
    Abbas made no comment to reporters. The Palestinian leader has said peace negotiations with Israel would be useless unless Netanyahu accepted a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict and froze settlements.
    Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, who held a joint news conference with Mitchell after his meeting with Abbas, told reporters that its' time for decisions.
    "Every effort should be exerted not to waste any more time, not to employ delaying tactics. Issues are very very clear, very clear cut. I think time is now for decisions, not for negotiations, not for public relations games, not for linguistic stunts, and Mr. Netanyahu knows exactly his obligations emanating from the 'road map'. He knows exactly that the 'road map' is not a conditional sequential. It's a parallel performance road map - he implements, I implement at the same time," Erekat said.
    Netanyahu, who leads a right-leaning government that could face collapse if he halts settlement construction, is scheduled to set out his position in a major speech on Sunday (June 14).
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