Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said here Saturday that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue might not be reached by the end of 2008.
Abbas made the remarks following talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak earlier in the day, the Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.
Although all sides concerned, including the Palestinians, Israel and the United States, have exerted strenuous efforts, "we might not reach a solution at the set date due to time element," said Abbas.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged at a U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis last November to reach a comprehensive peace deal by the end of 2008. Yet little visible progress has since been achieved.
Abbas said the Palestinians want a settlement but any settlement "must address the core issues," noting the Palestinians can not bargain on the issues of Jerusalem or the rights of Palestinian refugees to return.
As for the ongoing Egyptian mediation efforts to heal the inter-Palestinian rift, Abbas voiced his appreciation of Egypt's supportive stance, saying that Egypt's continued efforts for the resumption of an inter-Palestinian reconciliation dialogue will soon bear fruit.
In late August, Egyptian officials started bilateral talks with delegations of Palestinian factions to hammer out a unified stance among Palestinians to overcome the current inter-Palestinian crisis.
The Palestinian factions, under the auspices of Egypt, are expected to start a comprehensive national dialogue in early October, according to earlier reports.
Source: Xinhua
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