RAMALLAH, January 23, 2018 (WAFA) - PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi Tuesday received Egyptian-Ambassador-designate Issam Ashour at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah and welcomed him to Palestine.

Both parties affirmed the strong historical ties and relations between Palestine and Egypt and reviewed issues of mutual cooperation and interest. 

She extended her gratitude to the Egyptian government for its continued support of Palestinian reconciliation, in particular the fundamental role it played in bringing about the agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas in October.

The meeting, which was largely informal, focused on the latest political and regional developments, including US Vice President Mike Pence‘s recent visit to the region.

She said, "The extremist positions of this U.S. Administration and the biblical messianic message of Pence not only disqualified the U.S. as a peace broker but created conditions of volatility and instability in the region and beyond,” adding that “The Administration‘s blind support of Israel and its complicit role in the military occupation have dealt a deathblow to the chances of peace." 

The discussion also addressed Israeli escalations on the ground and regional and Arab developments, as well as the internal situation in Palestine and the latest updates regarding reconciliation and elections.

M.H.