STOCKHOLM, April 19, 2007 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday at a news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that the abducted BBC reporter Alan Johnston was "still alive".

Sweden was Abbas' latest stop during his ongoing tour of European countries that began in France earlier this week.

"Our intelligence services have confirmed to me that he is still alive," Abbas said, adding he was seeking Johnston's safe release but did not want to go into detail in order not to jeopardize Johnston's safety.

The BBC reporter was abducted almost six weeks ago in Gaza City.

"There are some positive signs, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions," Abbas said.

President Abbas also met with King Carl Gustaf and briefed the Swedish officials on the Arab Peace Initiative, which was recently readopted by the Arab summit conference in Riyadh.

The peace plan, which was launched for the first time in 2002, offers to extend recognition to the Jewish state by all Arab countries after it pulls out from all Arab lands it occupied in the 1967 Mideast war.

A.D (21.30P) (18.30GMT)