Abbas to meet with US President Obama on May 28

May 3, 2009, 15:00 GMT

Amman - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that May 28 had been set as a date for his talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington, when he intended to set forth the Palestinians' 'conditions' for resuming peace negotiations with Israel, including the cessation of settlement building and demolition of houses in Jerusalem.

'We plan to visit Cairo and other Arab countries before our May 28 visit to Washington, where we are going to have talks with the US administration on all political issues and set forth conditions for future negotiations,' Abbas told reporters after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

'Our conditions and vision are part of the two-state solution, which also involves halting settlement building and the policy of house demolitions. Our demands are also shared by the Americans as a pre-requisite for resuming dialogue with the Israelis,' Abbas said.

The Palestinian leader said his talks with King Abdullah focused on the outcome of the monarch's talks with Obama at the White House on April 21.

The talks between the king and Obama sought to convince the US administration to play 'a leading role in re-launching serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of the two-state solution and within a regional perspective,' a royal court statement said.

King Abdullah and Abbas underscored the importance of 'coordinating the Arab stance with a view to carrying out an effective move to ensure tangible progress is made towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,' it added.

'The two Arab leaders demanded a halt for all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly Jerusalem, and rejected all Israeli steps that seek to change the nature of the holy city through encroachment on its holy places and emptying the city of its population either by deportation or demolition of houses,' the statement said.

They also urged the world community 'to shoulder its responsibilities' in lifting the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid as well as starting reconstruction of the territory which was the scene for a destructive Israeli attack in January.

King Abdullah, who held similar talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia earlier this week, intends also to meet with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak shortly to brief him on the outcome of his talks with Obama, who strongly supported the two-state vision and the Arab peace initiative, officials said.