World News

In Amman, the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas held talks with the US Envoy to Mideast George Mitchell. Jordanian News Agency quoted Senior Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat as saying that Abbas stressed that peace cannot be reached as long as settlement building is ongoing. Palestinians do not impose conditions for talks resumption however they want to resume negotiations according to road map clauses which stress on the necessity of halting settlement building and which refuse any colonial activity in the Palestinian territory, Erekat uttered. During the meeting Mitchell said that USA still refuses Israeli settlement building and the US stand did not change in this regard, senior Palestinian negotiator added. The meeting comes after Mitchell held talks with Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II.