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Abbas: No Quick Decision on Peace Talks

28 September 2010 01:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says there will be no quick decision on whether to continue or pull out of peace talks with Israelis, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.

Mr. Abbas said Monday during a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris that he must consult with all stakeholders in the peace talks before making a decision.

He said he will consult with the Arab League on October 4 to discuss how to proceed now that a 10-month partial freeze on West Bank settlement construction has expired. He also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to re-impose the construction freeze, which expired late Sunday at 2200 UTC Sunday, for three or four more months.

Mr. Sarkozy said he regrets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision not to extend the moratorium on settlement building. He invited Mr. Abbas and Mr. Netanyahu to continue peace negotiations in Paris during late October through early November.

Earlier Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Mr. Abbas to continue peace talks in order to reach a "historic" agreement within a year.

He said Israel was "ready to pursue continuous contacts in the coming days."

The Palestinians had threatened to walk out of the negotiations if construction resumes.

In the West Bank Sunday, Israeli settlers and their supporters began celebrating the end of the partial construction freeze.

About 2,000 people rallied in the settlement of Revava, where they released balloons ahead of the moratorium’s expiration. In the nearby Kiryat Netafim settlement, residents laid the cornerstone for a new pre-school.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged West Bank settlers to "show restraint" as the deadline approached.

Israel has allowed hundreds of thousands of Israelis to settle on lands it has occupied since 1967. Palestinians say the settlements interfere with plans for a sovereign Palestinian state.