VIDEO - Following his meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the Muqata complex in Ramallah on Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was “willing to meet Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
in the near future and begin serious and mutual negotiations to bring the conflict to an end.”
"We have to meet. We need each other, and we have to deal with our problems," he said.
Abbas said he told Blair that diplomatic action is necessary to bring about a two-state solution.
“Security and stability will be achieved only when a peace agreement is reached,” Abbas said, adding that he asked Blair to work toward ending the economic siege imposed on the Palestinian Authority and bring about the opening the crossings and the release of Palestinians currently held in Israeli jails, including the detained ministers and legislators.
'We are a democratic people.' Abbas and Blair (Photo: AFP)
Abbas also called on rival Palestinian factions to lay down their arms, saying he hoped the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Fatah will hold.
“There are no winners or losers in these gun battles – all the Palestinians lose,” he said.
'I will not rest for a single moment'
The Palestinian leader added that he was determined to push ahead with his plan for new elections, despite the raging violence in Gaza.
"We are going to hold early elections, parliamentary and presidential. There is nothing we can see that can stop us," he said.
"We are a democratic people, so let's go to the people," he said. "We want to examine the will of the people. Do they still trust those they have chosen?"
During the joint press conference Blair called on the international community to support Abbas.
“Your people are suffering,” he told Abbas. “We don’t want anything to stand in the way of helping the Palestinian people.”
Blair added that he would do what he can in coming weeks to deliver support to Abbas and the Palestinians.
“I will not rest for a single moment,” he said.
Blair said the UK would not negotiate with Hamas, but added that the group is welcome to take part in the diplomatic process.
The British Prime Minister is scheduled to meet later in the day with Olmert and other top Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.