Mitchell: Abbas, Netanyahu agreed on maintaining indirect talks

[ 02/10/2010 - 07:52 AM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)-- De facto Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed on maintaining indirect talks between them until a solution is reached on the settlement issue, George Mitchell, the American envoy to the Middle East peace process, announced.

He added in a press statement on Friday night that the indirect talks would focus on means of overcoming the settlement issue. Abbas wants renewal of the freeze on construction in West Bank settlements while Netanyahu refuses.

Mitchell, who is currently in Doha, is to meet with a number of Qatari officials before leaving for Cairo then Amman to rally regional support for the peace process between Abbas's authority and the Israeli occupation authority.

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