Egyptian, Palestinian presidents discuss peace talks

CAIRO – 9 July 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Itihadeya Palace in Cairo on Sunday to discuss potential peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

The Palestinian president first extended condolences to his Egyptian counterpart on the death of 26 soldiers and military officers in a terror attack in North Sinai on Friday. Abbas affirmed the Palestinian people’s support for Egypt’s war against terrorism and any threats to its security or stability.

The presidency’s spokesperson Alaa Youssef told press that the meeting showcased the latest developments of the Palestinian cause and ways to revive the peace process.
President Sisi stressed Egypt’s continuous pursuit to reach a just and comprehensive solution guaranteeing Palestinians’ right to establish their independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders with Eastern Jerusalem as a capital.

Sisi confirmed that the Palestinian cause always comes at the top of Egypt’s priorities and that resolving it would restore security and stability in the Middle East and create the environment necessary for growth and economic development to meet the ambitions of the region’s peoples and states.

Abbas briefed Sisi on the efforts deployed by the Palestinian authorities to harness international support for its pursuit of the two-state solution aligning with international legitimacy and the decisions of the Arab Peace Initiative to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The initiative, which was first proposed in 2002, refers to the coexistence of both Israeli and Palestinian states with each of them abiding by clear borders.

Abbas also highlighted the United States’ efforts to revive the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis. President Sisi confirmed that Egypt would also continue its efforts to resume negotiations between the two parties.