Abbas to ask EU to recognise Palestinian state: minister

Brussels, Jan 22 (AFP) Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbaswill ask the EU to officially recognise the state of Palestinewhen he meets foreign ministers...

Brussels, Jan 22 (AFP) Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbaswill ask the EU to officially recognise the state of Palestinewhen he meets foreign ministers from the bloc on Monday, asenior official said.

Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki said Abbaswill tell the EU it should take the step "as a way to respond"to US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalemas the Israeli capital.

Abbas will also "reiterate his commitment to the peaceprocess" in the Middle East, Malki said in an interview withAFP in Brussels.

A week ago Abbas denounced Trump's efforts to resolve thelong-running conflict as the "slap of the century" and causedalarm by saying Israel had sunk the so-called Oslo accordsthat underpin the stalled peace process.

"Since Trump's decision has altered the rules of thegame, he (Abbas) expects the European foreign ministers tocome forward and collectively recognise the state of Palestineas a way to respond back to Trump's decision," Malki said.

"If the Europeans want to be a player then they have tobe fair in their treatment of both parties and this shouldstart with the recognition of the state of Palestine."Abbas will meet EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogheriniand the bloc's 28 foreign ministers on Monday on the sidelinesof their monthly meeting, after Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu made a similar visit last month.

Diplomats and officials in Brussels say recognition forPalestine is not on the cards today -- the EU leavesrecognition in the hands of individual members -- and the bestAbbas can hope for is progress towards an "associationagreement" with the bloc.

Malki told AFP that while the Palestinian Authority was"very serious" about such an agreement, they also expected tobe formally recognised as a state.

"One does not replace the other. Absolutely not," hesaid.

Despite Abbas's comments on the Oslo accord and hisinsistence that the United States can no longer serve asmediator, Malki said he was still committed to the peaceprocess -- effectively frozen since 2014.

"He wants to reiterate his commitment to the peaceprocess. He's going to say I'm not going to withdraw from thepeace process, I will stay committed," Malki told AFP.

Abbas's talks in Brussels come as US Vice President MikePence visits Israel during a tour of the Middle East with Arabanger still smouldering over Washington's hugely contentiousdecision on Jerusalem.

Abbas and the Palestinian leadership are refusing to meetPence because of the declaration, making his visit a rare oneby a high-ranking US official not to include talks with thePalestinians. (AFP)AJR.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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