By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat on Tuesday stressed that the Palestinians' decision to go to the UN Security Council to secure international recognition of a state does not constitute unilateral action.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner following the French diplomat's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday, Erekat said the Palestinians "will not take any unilateral steps".
"We are considering this option after consulting with Arab leaders and have decided along with Arab foreign ministers to seek the help of the international community," he added.
Earlier yesterday, Abbas said the impasse in the Middle East peace process left him no choice but to seek international recognition, even as Europe and Washington discouraged the move, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We feel we are in a very difficult situation," he said in Cairo after talks with Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. "What is the solution for us? To remain suspended like this, not in peace? That is why I took this step."
Erekat highlighted that the Palestinian state is mentioned in the roadmap agreements, which were ratified by the UN in Resolution 1515, adding that "it is about time that the international community recognises a Palestinian state living in peace side by side with an Israeli state".
The Palestinian leader's talks with Kouchner covered "efforts being exerted regarding the peace process as well as the importance of freezing all settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the natural growth of the settlements", Erekat said, adding that the Palestinians are not putting any preconditions in the way of negotiations.
Erekat said the two sides agreed that the settlements constitute an obstacle to peace talks, adding that they asked the French to place pressure on Israel to halt its plans to build 900 new housing units in East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Kouchner, who also met with Prime Minister Nader Dahabi yesterday, said his government's position rejecting the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories "is clear and well known to all concerned parties".
"My visit today is to extend our support to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. We are determined to continue our efforts to push the peace process forward reaching the establishment of a viable Palestinian state and maintaining Israel's security," Kouchner said.
"We don’t want the negotiations to start from square one," he stressed.
Dahabi, during the meeting with the French official, called for unifying Jordan's and France's efforts seeking a relaunch of serious Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as soon as possible.
He added that Jordan and France have identical views regarding the centrality of the Palestinian issue and the need to reach a permanent solution based on the two-state formula.
Kouchner briefed Dahabi on efforts being exerted by France to bring about a comprehensive peace in the region, particularly after French President Nicolas Sarkozy's recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Also Tuesday, the government issued a statement condemning Israeli plans to build 900 new units in East Jerusalem.
Minister of Media Affairs and Communicat-ions and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif said the move is a continuation of Israeli policies that hinder peacemaking in the Middle East.
