Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vowed Friday to try to reach a final status peace agreement with Israel by the end of the year, but he admitted the goal, set by U.S. President George W. Bush, might not be achieved.
According to the AP, Abbas also rejected the notion that he and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert might put forth a partial document. "It is necessary for the agreement to address all ... issues," said Abbas, speaking at the Ambrosetti Forum, an annual gathering of global political and business leaders in this Italian lakeside resort. "It is all or nothing, really."
"We might not be able to reach a final status agreement by the end of the year," he said. "We will make all possible efforts."
Abbas said if no agreement was reached while Bush remained in office, "the new administration should not wait seven years for us to start negotiations." "It should begin immediately as soon as a new president is in the White House."
Meanwhile, Israel approved the recent shipment from Jordan of some 1,000 new assault rifles for Abbas' security forces, Israeli defence officials said on Friday. Abbas' forces in the -occupied West Bank also received thousands of rounds of ammunition, the officials said, according to Reuters.
Israel has allowed similar weapons shipments in the past.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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