U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday met Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas in New York on Monday, where the two discussed the “two-state solution”.
“The Secretary and President Abbas discussed regional challenges and constructive ideas for the way forward to support our shared goal of a two-state solution,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby.
“Kerry stressed the United States’ commitment to this issue and his concern over trends on the ground, including the recent surge in violence and settlement activity,” added Kirby, who said the two “agreed on the importance of continuing to work with key partners to advance the prospects for peace while opposing all efforts that would undermine that goal.”
The meeting between Kerry and Abbas comes amid a renewed push for Israel and the PA to renew peace talks which have been stalled since 2014.
The Russian Foreign Ministry recently announced that Abbas and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had agreed to meet in Moscow to renew final status talks, though no date has been set for a meeting between the two leaders.
Abbas has continuously imposed preconditions on peace talks with Israel, including demanding a construction freeze in Judea and Samaria and the release of terrorists.
The PA chairman has also insisted that any reboot of peace talks with Israel should happen within a clear time-frame and under international supervision.