 | The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, today received Mr Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, who is on a working visit to the Republic of Slovenia. President Türk stated that this was the first such visit of the Palestinian President to Slovenia and expressed satisfaction that such a visit had taken place so soon after his first meeting with President Abbas on the margins of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, which was held in mid-May this year in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.
In his talks with President Abbas, Dr Türk pointed out that Slovenia decidedly supports the Palestinian nation in its endeavours to fully exercise its right to self-determination and to the establishment of its own state. President Türk asserted that Slovenia supports the Middle East peace process, in spite of the obstacles, on its way towards progress. One such obstacle, he explained, was Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Slovenian President went on to say that establishing a Palestinian state would require removal of these settlements and expressed his hope that the Security Council of the United Nations, presently debating this issue, would adopt an appropriate resolution on this matter. He expressed satisfaction on the improved communication and security situation in the West Bank, which would certainly facilitate progress on the political level. President Türk also said that Slovenia was well aware of the importance of the Palestinian issue for peace in the Middle East and worldwide, adding that there are currently positive tendencies that need reinforcement in addition to the stronger role of the European Union, particularly as part of the efforts of the Middle East Quartet.
Mr Abbas stated that he was honoured to have the opportunity of visiting Slovenia and invited President Türk to visit the Palestinian territory at his convenience. He thanked Dr Türk for Slovenia's support of the peace process and Palestinian endeavours to establish their own state. In his words, they were aiming for a solution that would ensure that Israel and Palestine could live side by side in peace, pointing out that no alternatives to peace negotiations with Israel existed for them. During the discussion, Mr Abbas presented the advances in stabilising the situation in the West Bank and the course of efforts towards conciliation among Palestinians.
The two presidents also discussed the participation of Palestinian universities in the Euro-Mediterranean University project based in Portorož, which could contribute to conciliation and peacemaking developments in the Middle East. They agreed that Slovenia, as a historically unencumbered country in this regard, could realistically contribute to this process, and both Dr Türk and Mr Abbas expressed their interest in the further strengthening of bilateral relations. |