Obama invites Abbas to visit US in May

20:42, 26 April 2010

RAMALLAH. April 26. KAZINFORM Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received an invitation from US President Barack Obama to visit Washington next month, a Palestinian official said Sunday; Kazinform refers to China Daily.

"The exact date is not yet set up but it will be in May," Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told Xinhua. He added that George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East peace process, carried the invitation to Mr. Abbas who accepted it.

It will be Abbas' second visit to the United States since President Obama took office last year. However, it comes at a time that Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are stalled.

Last month, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) approved a US offer to start proximity talks with Israel, but an Israeli decision to build 1,600 houses in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as their future capital, prevented the indirect talks from starting; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.

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