Abbas meets US envoy, insists on settlement freeze

Nov 2, 2009, 19:30 GMT

Amman - The Palestinian Authority would not resume peace talks with Israel until all construction in the West Bank settlements stopped, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told US Middle East envoy George Mitchell on Monday in Amman.

'The president made it clear during the meeting that peace cannot be achieved with the continuation of the settlement activity,' head of the Palestinian Negotiation Department, Saeb Erekat, told reporters after the meeting.

'We do not put conditions for resuming negotiations, but we want the talks resumed on the basis of the provisions of the road map, which stipulates the cessation of all forms of settlement activity in the Palestinian territories,' he said.

'Mitchell emphasized during today's meeting that there is no change in the US attitude, which rejects the Israeli settlements,' he added.

Although the administration of US President Barack Obama has also demanded a total construction halt, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in Jerusalem Saturday that this demand was not a prerequisite for renewing peace talks.

Clinton flew to Morocco on Monday for a meeting with Arab foreign ministers, seeking their help in convincing Abbas to return to the negotiating table even in the absence of a construction freeze.