Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, visited Greece on Monday and met with its Prime Minister Kostas Karamanli. On his part, Karamanli expressed positive attitude regarding his talks with Abbas and said that Greece supports the Palestinian national rights of independence.Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, visited Greece on Monday and met with its Prime Minister Kostas Karamanli. On his part, Karamanli expressed positive attitude regarding his talks with Abbas and said that Greece supports the Palestinian national rights of independence. Karamanli said that his country is willing to support the Palestinian unity government in order to enable it to successfully perform its duties.
He also said that Greece is also willing to support the bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in order to reach a comprehensive peace deal that would see calm and prosperity in the region.
Karamanli added that peace in the Middle East and the Mediterranean area is essential to the prosperity of the people and the stability of the whole region.
“We will continue our efforts, we will continue our search to find the right basis of successful negotiations that would lead to a comprehensive peace”, Karamanli said, “We will encourage all talks that leads to coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians”.
Karamanli thanked president Abbas for the visit and described the talks as positive and constructive.
On his side, Abbas thanked Karamanli for his hospitality and his country’s understanding of the Palestinian cause.
“I want to thank you, as a government and a people for your support to out just cause, and for your personal support”, Abbas told Karamanli.
Abbas added that the Palestinian leadership believes that the Arab peace initiative is very important since it presents a balanced solution to the Israeli-Palestinian and the Israeli-Arab conflict.
The Arab Peace Initiative which was presented during the Arab League meeting in Beirut in 2002, and renewed this year during the Arab league meeting in Saudi Arabia, calls for the creation of a Palestinian independent state in the occupied territories since 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on these territories.
The Initiative also calls for normalization and recognition of Israel if it withdraws from the occupied territories.
Translated by Saed Bannoura
