RAMALLAH, December 19, 2017 (WAFA) - Foreign and Expatriates Minister Riyad Malki said on Tuesday that Palestine is going to call for an extraordinary session for the United Nations General Assembly under the term “United for Peace” to transfer the powers of the Security Council to the General Assembly in order to vote on the same draft resolution that the United States has vetoed the night.

Malki said in an interview with Voice of Palestine radio that the General Assembly is going to meet on Tuesday to vote on a draft resolution affirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

He said he expects that most of the member states are going to vote in favor of  this resolution, which will constitute a slap in the face of the US and a strong response to its use of the veto power to kill the Arab-sponsored draft resolution on Jerusalem.

Maliki pointed out that these moves in the General Assembly are among a series of Palestinian steps that will be initiated in the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, UNESCO and the International Criminal Court.

He also said that Palestine will try once again to gain full UN  membership status through the Security Council.

With regard to the Russian position on the readiness of Moscow to play an active role in the political process, Malki stressed the desire of Russia to play the role of mediator, noting that the coming meetings between the Palestinian and Russian leaders will discuss this matter.

He also said that President Mahmoud Abbas will discuss with French President Emmanuel Macaron during their upcoming meeting adopting a strong European Union position from the American decision on Jerusalem and how to defeat it, as well as what other steps the European Union should take to create a new international terms of reference to the peace process that will replace the American role.

The foreign minister said that President Abbas will urge France to recognize the state of Palestine, especially since the political conditions and atmosphere are conducive to this recognition, which will pave the way for France to lead moves towards creating an international terms of reference and to play an active role in the peace process.

Malki said important meetings will be held in Brussels and Paris in the near future by an Arab committee chaired by Jordan, which was formed by the recent Arab League‘s ministerial meeting in Cairo, to discuss the recognition of the Palestinian state by the European countries and the US decision on Jerusalem.

M.K.