Merkel reaffirms support for 2-state solution

Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday reaffirmed her support for reaching a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a joint press conference with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas here.

Ahead of her meeting with Abbas, Merkel had said she would discuss the situation in the Palestinian territory on the basis of finding a political solution that would ensure both the Palestinian and the Israeli people to live in peace and security.

She added that this was only possible through a two-state solution in compliance with internationally agreed parameters, even if this was "increasingly difficult to achieve", Efe news reported.

Abbas thanked Merkel for Germany's role in helping create peace and stability in the Middle East, adding the country "respects international law and legitimacy as the basis for achieving peace through the two-state solution within 1967 borders".

The Palestinian leader said that "the US was not contributing to establishing peace and security in the region because it excluded issues such as Jerusalem, refugees and borders from the negotiations".

Abbas then demanded the negotiations fall under international supervision, explaining that a group of countries from both Europe and the Arab world should mediate between Israel and Palestine.

He called on all European states to believe in a two-state solution and to recognize the State of Palestine as they did with Israel.

According to Abbas, the recognition of Palestine as a state does not contradict the negotiations that must be maintained between both sides of the conflict.