Mitchell with Abbas
Photo: Reuters
Mitchell says meeting with Abbas positive
US envoy asks Israeli, Palestinian sides to send envoys to US to discuss renewal of peace talks
US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Friday after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He told Abbas that the Obama administration was deeply committed to the two-state solution and the renewal of the peace process.
Mitchell said the meeting was positive and that it had dealt with all issues at hand, including the need for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.
He added that he asked both sides to send envoys to Washington in order to discuss the renewal of negotiations. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the meetings would most likely take place within the next two weeks.
Abbas told Mitchell that Israel's settlement policy in the West Bank and its refusal to commit to the Road Map was bringing talks to a dead end.
Earlier Netanyahu's office called his meeting with Mitchell "useful and productive" and said he would meet Saturday with the prime minister's Palestinian affairs envoys, Yitzhak Molcho and Mike Herzog.
