Abbas blames Israel, US for Mideast peace deadlock

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday held both Israel and the US responsible for the deadlock in the Middle East peace process, Palestinian media reported.

Abbas' remarks were made in a meeting with Foreign Minister of Morocco Nasser Bourita in the West Bank city of Ramallah, saying that the Israeli measures and the unfair US policies are the main reason for bringing the peace process into a deadlock, Xinhua reported.

Abbas stressed the importance of holding an international peace conference that prepares for a mechanism to resolve the Palestinian cause based on the international resolutions and lead to establishing a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian state-run news agency (WAFA) reported that President Abbas briefed the Moroccan FM on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories as well as the peace process, which is stalled due to the Israeli and the US policies.

Abbas also renewed the his calls on the importance of the Arab position that backs the Palestinians who are sticking to their legitimate rights and who oppose the language of dictation and threats, which aim at liquidating the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile, Bourita stressed the importance of his visit to the Palestinian territories to express the supportive positions on Morocco towards the Palestinians and express solidarity with them.

He informed Abbas that King Mohamed the 6th "is deeply concerned in the issue of Jerusalem and is always interested in coordination with President Abbas on this respect and other issues related to the Palestinian cause."

Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) announced that it had agreed with Morocco on forming a joint ministerial committee that will convene before the end of this year.

The PNA minister of foreign affairs Reyad al-Malki announced in a joint news conference with Bourita that the formation of the joint committee "is to express the strong and joint ties between the two countries."

"The visit of the Foreign Minister of Morocco is a clear sign that expresses the desire of the Moroccan kingdom to keep in contact with the Palestinians and express its interest in the historic and political position of Jerusalem," al-Malki told reporters.

He unveiled that he agreed with Bourita to ask the ambassadors of both countries to start working together on the formation of the joint committee "in order to come up with the expected positive results."

Bourita, who visited earlier al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem told reporters that his country rejects any action that influence the Arab or Islamic identity of the city of Jerusalem, adding that his country follows up various projects to support the Palestinians steadfastness.

--IANS

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