RAMALLAH, January 9, 2011 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas thanked the Chilean president Sebastián Piñera on Saturday for his country’s recognition of a 'free, independent and sovereign Palestinian state.'

 Abbas praised the bilateral relations between the Palestinians and Chile, valuing its supporting position of Palestinian national rights and the right to establish an independent state.

 Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme said in a press statement: 'The State of Chile has supported permanently and consistently the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state coexisting in peace with the State of Israel. It has also fully endorsed the right of Israel to exist within secure and internationally recognized borders.'

 He added the Chilean government 'strongly supports and believes it is essential to reinvigorate the process of negotiations between the parties, with the support of the international community, in order to reach a full, definite and satisfactory peace agreement in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations.'

According to Charme, President Sebastian Piñera will visit Israel and Palestine in March to reaffirm Chile’s support for negotiations in order to achieve an agreement between the two parties, as well as strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation between Chile and the States of Israel and Palestine.

 The Chilean recognition took place on Friday in the aftermath of the tour of President Abbas late last year in Latin America.

 Y.Y.