ADDIS ABABA, January 28, 2018 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas told the 30th Ordinary Session of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on Sunday that resuming the peace efforts requires a multi-lateral mechanism under the umbrella of the United Nations.
“We call on the African Union and its member states to have representatives in this mechanism or send [representatives] to the international conference, to be organized in accordance with the resolutions of international community,” Abbas told the conference.
He added, “This should be based on the principle of the two-state solution on the 1967 borders and the end of the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.”
The President stressed the importance for all states to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, in line with the UN Security Council resolution 478 of 1980, and not to recognize any measures contrary to the UNSC resolutions on Jerusalem and the Palestinian question.
“Our commitment to the option of peace is an option we have been seeking for decades. But US President Donald Trump‘s decision on Jerusalem has made the United States a side biased with Israel, thus excluding itself as an intermediary in the peace process. As such, it [the US] will not be able to propose a just and equitable peace solution in the Middle East.”
Abbas praised the African efforts to combat terrorism and extremism. He said: “We are working with dozens of countries in the world to combat terrorism.”
He expressed readiness to “partner with the African continent in the development program, and to conclude cooperation agreements and exchange experiences in health, agriculture, energy, public administration and cooperation between businessmen through the Palestinian Agency for International Cooperation.”
“The struggle against colonialism, racism, injustice and the right of peoples to self-determination are common issues between Palestine and the peoples of the African continent.”
M.N./M.K.
