Abbas welcomes Quartet's "important" statement

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday welcomed a statement by Middle East peace Quartet that called for an end to Israeli settlement activities in occupied lands, terming it as "very important."

Abbas said that the statement would gain more importance when Israel commits itself to the Quartet's call, the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, quoted Abbas as saying.

The Quartet of peacemakers, comprising the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, met in Moscow earlier in the day to assess the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

"The Quartet urges the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity" in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in Moscow.

A statement by the Quartet also gave Israel and the PNA 24 months to start negotiations on final status issues that would enable the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Last week, Israel approved plans to build new settlement units for Jews in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as a capital of their future state. The approval hindered a U.S. proposal to hold proximity talks between Israel and the PNA.

Source: Xinhua