US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday with Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said after the conversation that the two “discussed the importance of strengthening the US relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people, as well as the need to improve quality of life for Palestinians in tangible ways.”
“They also discussed the challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and the need for reform. Secretary Blinken reiterated that Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live safely and securely, and enjoy equal measures of security, freedom, and prosperity, and reaffirmed the US administration’s commitment to a two-state solution,” added Price.
The PA had a tense relationship with the Trump administration and had been boycotting the US since 2017, in protest of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to the city.
However, since taking office, the Biden administration has renewed ties with the PA and had been crafting a plan aimed at “resetting” US ties with the PA.
In one move, the Biden administration announced it intends to resume aid to UNRWA as well as other aid to the PA which was suspended by the Trump administration.
Last month, senior US and PA officials met virtually to renew the US-Palestinian Economic Dialogue for the first time in five years.