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French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, standing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Last update - 21:55 12/11/2009
Sarkozy urges Abbas to renew peace talks with Israel
By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to renew stalled peace negotiations with Israel, shortly after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Paris.

A statement from Sarkozy's office said the French president underlined to Abbas the urgency of a resumption of the Middle East peace process.

Sarkozy appeared to be positioning himself as a Middle East peace mediator. He called Abbas on Thursday after meeting Netanyahu the night before.
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The statement said Sarkozy laid out in light of his recent international contacts the conditions that would allow a quick return to the talks. The statement did not say what those conditions would be.

An Abbas aide, however, told AFP that Sarkozy made "important suggestions" during a phone conversation with Abbas.

"President Sarkozy had very important suggestions on how to move the peace process forward," Nabil Abu Rudeina told the French news agency.

He did not elaborate, but reportedly said Sarkozy had shared details of his meeting with Netanyahu and the two agreed to talk again in a few days.

Another senior Palestinian official was quoted as telling AFP on condition of anonymity that among the topics discussed was the idea of organizing a Middle East peace conference in Moscow, an idea Russia has been pushing for months.

During a speech in Ramallah on Wednesday, Abbas reiterated his position that negotiations will not be resumed as long as settlement construction is not halted entirely.

He also recapped the principles that will guide the Palestinians during negotiations: a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, Jerusalem as its capital, the release of prisoners, and the right of return for refugees in line with the United Nations Resolution 194.

Following Netanyahu's meeting with Sarkozy on Wednesday, the two leaders said in a joint statement that they agreed to make every effort to revive the peace process.


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      1.   Israel Is Implaccable 18:23  |  Yaakov Sullivan 12/11/09
      2.   yaakov yaakov yaakov, u assume much 19:05  |  jon 12/11/09
      3.   stop begging them 19:08  |  marc 12/11/09
      4.   God idea 19:47  |  petr vojta 12/11/09
      5.   Bye...Bye.....Abbas 19:51  |  zoe 12/11/09
      6.   Jon, Marc- The Saudi Plan offers what you two are concerned 19:51  |  Neutral 12/11/09
      7.   i can`t understand such western bias 20:14  |  Belal 12/11/09
      8.   #1, yaakov, JErusalem is open city..capital of Israel 20:14  |  David 12/11/09
      9.   The Pals have never, Never chosen peace. They won`t share 20:17  |  Jason 12/11/09
      10.   hey neutral, re: saudi plan 21:11  |  jon 12/11/09
      11.   #1 suggestin 21:35  |  WHG 12/11/09
      12.   Belal #7 21:35  |  Ann 12/11/09
      13.   Right of return and E. Jerusalem are non-starters. 21:38  |  4:20 12/11/09
      14.   Same old Song and Dance 21:50  |  Bill 12/11/09
      15.   isn`t it strange that reaching peace is so hard? 21:57  |  watcher 12/11/09
      16.   Belal in Gaza 22:01  |  Jane 12/11/09
      17.   #15 The mosque is no problem to anyone 22:40  |  The other way 12/11/09
      18.   #10 Jon - re inapt Native American analogy 22:48  |  Don Boston 12/11/09
      19.   Don Bston, As a Cherokee up here in North Carolina... 06:44  |  BBSNews 13/11/09
      20.   Well, Sarkozy is doing something, since Obama doesn`t ... 11:06  |  S 13/11/09
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