TEL AVIV, September 22, 2009 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas held Tuesday a tripartite meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York.

Shortlyb befor the meeting, Obama said his envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, would meet with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators next week. He added that he had asked his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, to report back to him on the status of the talks in October.

Obama started his remarks as saying: I have just concluded frank and productive bilateral meetings with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. I want to thank them both for appearing here today. I'm now looking forward to this opportunity to hold the first meeting among the three of us since we took office.

“The United States is committed to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East” Obama said.” That includes a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states -Israel and Palestine - in which both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people can live in peace and security and realize their aspirations for a better life for their children.”

“That is why my secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and my special envoy, George Mitchell, have worked tirelessly to create the context for permanent status negotiations,” he added. And we have made progress since I took office in January and since Israelis -- Israel's government took office in April, but we still have much further to go.”

He said it important for the Arab states to take concrete steps to promote peace, stressing that “permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon. And more importantly, we must give those negotiations the opportunity to succeed.”