France considers recognizing Palestinian state before talks
FM Kouchner says 'tempted' by idea of international recognition of Palestinian state before borders negotiated; PM Fillon says proposal aimed at 'accelerating peace process'
France is considering recognizing a Palestinian state before its borders have been negotiated in an effort to kick-start Middle East peace talks, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Sunday.
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told French weekend newspaper Journal du Dimanche he was "tempted" by the idea of international recognition of a Palestinian state even before its borders were negotiated.
Kouchner's proposal showed France's willingness "to accelerate the (peace) process, to take initiatives which will kick off negotiations which are taking too long to start," Fillon told a news conference in Jordan.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Fillon plan to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris on Monday.
Peace talks were halted more than a year ago over the war in the Gaza Strip and have not resumed, due largely to a Palestinian demand that Israel first impose a complete freeze on building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem and Israel's refusal to do so.
