'We won't stop contacts.' Abbas
Photo: AFP
Abbas insists on settlement freeze before talks
'Israel refused to renew West Bank construction moratorium, and we could not continue the talks,' Palestinian president says following talks with Jordan's King Abdullah, but adds, 'We will continue to communicate with Americans'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insisted on Sunday that Israel should freeze settlement building before he returns to peace talks, a statement in Jordan said.
"Of course we will not stop contacts with the Americans," the palace statement quoted him as saying following talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II.
Arab World
Associated Press
As US special envoy meets with Egyptian president, Cairo's foreign minister says current conditions' not favorable for peace talks to continue
"We will continue to communicate with them to find a solution to the Israeli settlements problem, which should stop before we go back the negotiations," the palace quoted Abbas as saying.
The US-backed negotiations, which began on September 2, have been on the brink of collapse since Israel refused to extend a 10-month moratorium on new settler homes in the West Bank that expired a week ago.
"Israel refused to renew a freeze on the settlement building, and we could not continue the talks. So now, there is a problem and we will follow up on through Arab coordination," Abbas added.
The Arab League Follow-up Committee on the peace talks is due to meet to form its position on Friday in the Libyan city of Sirte.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, an umbrella group that includes most Palestinian factions except the militant Hamas, on Saturday urged Abbas to withdraw from the talks over continued Israeli settlement construction.
The king also met separately with US envoy George Mitchell, who has been touring the region since Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to salvage the fledgling direct negotiations.
Mitchell, who arrived in Amman from Cairo, where he insisted the Palestinians want peace talks with Israel to continue, briefed the king on US peace efforts, the palace said.
"Despite their differences, both the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have asked us to continue these discussions in an effort to establish the conditions under which they can continue direct negotiations," Mitchell told reporters after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
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