With a new round of Mideast diplomacy opening this week, Arab nations will introduce a plan calling for international recognition of a Palestinian state, followed by a two-year period to work out the final borders, a diplomatic source said Monday.
The talks that open Tuesday in New York are an attempt to revive Mideast peacemaking, and will include diplomats from the United States, the United Nations, Europe, and Russia, along with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The Arab plan, worked out in conjunction with the Palestinians, calls for Palestinian elections for a new leader and parliament in January as part of a broader reform effort, the source said, according to AP.
Shortly after the balloting, the Palestinians would seek United Nations recognition for a state based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Mideast war, the diplomatic source said.
If the United Nations recognized a Palestinian state, the Israelis and Palestinians could then start negotiations on final borders. There would be a one-year deadline to negotiate an agreement, followed by a second year to implement the deal, the source added. (Albawaba.com)
