Abbas says ready to resume peace talks if Israel stops annexation plan

APD NEWS

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Tuesday that the Palestinians are ready to resume the stalled peace talks if Israel stops its plan to annex parts of the West Bank.

Abbas made his remarks in a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday night, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The Palestinian leader informed Johnson that the International Quartet and other countries have to sponsor any peace talks with Israel and the talks have to rely on international resolutions.

Abbas also briefed Johnson on the latest political developments in the region, mainly the Israeli annexation plan, according to the report.

He thanked Johnson for his country's position that supports achieving peace based on international legitimacy and rejects the annexation plan.

For his part, Johnson explained to Abbas that his country stands for achieving peace based on the two-state solution and rejects the Israeli plan to annex Palestinian lands, the report said.

Johnson told Abbas that it is important to revive the peace process between the two sides and that his country will exert more efforts to achieve peace, according to the report.

Abbas announced two months ago the abolition of all agreements and understandings reached with Israel and the United States, including security agreements, in response to the Israeli annexation plan.

The peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have stalled since 2014 after the United States had sponsored it for nine months without achieving any progress due to the deep Israeli-Palestinian differences over major issues related to security and borders.