9-01-06, 9:28 am
President Abbas added, in a press conference with the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Ramallah City, that these efforts 'come as an investment into the awareness of the international community that military forces and continued occupation of Arab and Palestinians lands will not bring peace, and that security and stability will only be achieved through ensuring the return of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, implementing international legitimacy resolutions and establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.'
The President also explained that his discussions with Secretary General Annan tackled the developments in the Palestinian territories, and the need to achieve calm between both the Israeli and Palestinian sides, and the necessity of ending the issue of the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza. He demanded Israel to release Palestinian legislators and ministers, in addition to 10,000 prisoners in its jails.
'If Israel cares for its captured soldier in Gaza, they should know that we care for our prisoners, parliament members and ministers,' he confirmed.
As for the efforts to form a national coalition government, President Abbas briefed Annan on these efforts, and stressed the importance of reaching a government that represents all the groups in the Palestinian society, with a platform that can attract international and regional support, and finds a way out of the isolation and siege imposed on the Palestinian people.
On his part, Secretary General Annan expressed his gratitude for the gracious welcome he had received, and described his talks with the President as fruitful, adding that 'the suffering of the Palestinian people should not be forgotten as we seek to achieve peace in Lebanon.'
Annan further mentioned that his visit to Ramallah was not an act of symbolism, but of essence. 'It is important for me to witness first hand the suffering of the Palestinian people,' he said.
The UN official asserted that the international community is bound to find an acceptable political horizon in the region, warning that the current stagnation will strengthen fundamentalism and those who adopt violence.
Annan excluded the option of deploying international peacekeeping forces in the Palestinian territories, pointing out that internal Palestinian discussions were the key to achieving progress in any matter. 'The key to solving problems in this troubled region is the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel,' Annan confirmed, calling to lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and opening border crossings, and stopping the targeting of civilians.
'I hope to see and end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and see a future Palestinian state living side by side with Israel, based on the international UN resolutions, mainly resolutions 242 and 338.'
As for Palestinian prisoners, Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he had discussed this issue with President Abbas and Israeli officials, expressing hope that a meeting between the President and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be held shortly afterwards to discuss many issues, referring to the role Egypt plays in the region, especially in dealing with the issue of prisoners.
Prior to his meeting with Abbas, Annan had received a letter from relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the Popular Committee to Resist the Apartheid Wall, both demanding him to intervene and end their suffering at the hands of the Israeli authorities, and work with the international community to restore the Palestinian people's freedom and independence, through active implementation of relevant UN resolutions.
International Press Center
