Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday held a meeting in Ramallah with visiting US senior diplomats, the Xinhua news agency reported.
During the meeting, Abbas called on the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the list of terrorism and reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem.
Abbas said the PLO "is a full peace partner and had signed a series of peace agreements, sponsored by the US, with Israel," according to the report.
Abbas also urged the US side to work on reopening the closed offices of the PLO in Washington, which were shuttered by former President Donald Trump’s administration, noting that the PLO "is committed to the peace process and stopping all unilateral actions."
Leaf, according to the report, reiterated that the United States is committed to the two-state solution and the mission of her delegation "is to prepare for the visit of President Joe Biden, who wants to meet Abbas."
She said that Biden would discuss with Abbas strengthening the Palestinian-American partnership and relations and finding ways to stop the escalation in the region and move to the political horizon.
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.
In January, senior US and PA officials met virtually to renew the US-Palestinian Economic Dialogue for the first time in five years.