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UN chief lauds Fayyad's "strong efforts" as Palestinian PM

16 April 2013 02:44 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday voiced his appreciation of "strong efforts" of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in improving the lives of all Palestinians, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Ban made the statement after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Fayyad on Saturday.

"The secretary-general appreciates Mr. Fayyad's strong efforts during his tenure as prime minister," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "He commends Mr. Fayyad's leadership and his commitment to improving the lives of all Palestinians."

"The United Nations looks to build on his achievements for the Palestinian state-building and development agenda, and will continue to work with the Palestinian leadership, under President Abbas, on achieving the two-state solution," the statement said.

Earlier on Monday, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, met Fayyad to "express on behalf of the United Nations appreciation for his achievements," Serry said later in a separate statement.

"Prime Minister Fayyad has not only been an interlocutor I personally hold in the highest esteem, but also a valuable partner for the international community, including the United Nations," the UN coordinator said in the statement.

The United Nations is part of a diplomatic group in search of peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution, which, widely backed by the international community, means an independent Palestine State to live in peace with a secure State of Israel.

The diplomatic panel, known as the Middle East Quartet, also groups the European Union, the United States and Russia.

The Israelis and the Palestinians have yet to resume direct negotiations since talks stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.