Global General

Palestine: No official decision on resumption of talks

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-27 22:11

PARIS - The Palestinians have no official announcement to resume peace negotiations with Israel until Oct 4, Nabil Abou Roudeina, the spokesman of Palestinian President Mahoud Abbas, said on Monday.

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"There will be no official response before Oct 4," he announced as visiting Abbas is due to discuss the peace process with French leaders on the day.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to receive his Palestinian counterpart Abbas at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch, and Prime Minister Francois Fillion will meet Abbas this afternoon, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to the spokesman, the Palestinian leader is going to consult with Arabian countries on Oct 4, and then return to Palestine for final decision.

The Elysee Palace is scheduled to hold a joint news conference by two presidents after their working lunch.

The re-launch of direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks early this month in the United States was newly frustrated by an expiration of a moratorium halting expansion of Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Israel defied US calls to extend the freezing of settlement construction, while Palestinian leaders vowed to boycott the negotiations unless Israel makes concessions.