Abbas open to peace talks with any Israeli leadership (Roundup)

Oct 4, 2008, 22:46 GMT

Ramallah - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday said the Palestinian Authority was open to holding peace talks with any Israeli leadership and was confident the process would continue with Tzipi Livni, who is likely to soon take over the premier's post.

'We will continue peace talks with the current Israeli leadership headed by Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert or the one that will be headed by new Kadima chief (Tzipi) Livni,' Abbas said.

At a joint news conference with visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, the Palestinian leader said peace talks would continue with any Israeli leadership 'until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established.'

Earlier in the day, Kouchner said he believed that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of 2008 was unlikely.

Attending the opening of a French/German-financed industrial park in the West Bank city of Jenin, Kouchner said a general document could be signed within the timeframe, but a final peace deal - which would include the main sticking point of the status of Jerusalem - was not expected.

United States President George W Bush has repeatedly claimed that a deal for Arab-Israeli peace is possible before he leaves office in January 2009.

Kouchner also pledged more French support to the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas called on European Union countries 'to exert more intensive efforts to push forward the Middle East peace process and achieve the two-state solution, adding that 'the European role has to be complementary to the US role.'

Kouchner was also invited by Taher al-Noono, spokesman of the deposed government led by the Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza, to visit the Gaza Strip.