Abbas Calls for an International Peace Conference

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, prior to his visit to Moscow, stated: "Palestine is ready to hold an international peace conference to resolve aspects of the final status of the Palestinian issue." He added in an interview with the TASS agency: "The strategic solution to the Palestinian issue can be summarized as follows: granting the Palestinian people their right to freedom and independence." Abbas emphasized "the right of Palestinians to self-determination according to the two-state solution that respects international law and is guaranteed by the international community and the United Nations." He confirmed "the necessity of stopping all unilateral Israeli hostilities in the West Bank and Jerusalem. All aspects of the final status should be settled during the international peace conference, with a complete withdrawal of forces within the agreed time frame and the implementation of a general regional security mechanism." Earlier, TASS reported from the Palestinian embassy in Moscow that "the Palestinian president has not changed his plans and will arrive in the Russian capital today." According to TASS, "Abbas's visit will last for two days, and he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin."