UAE president reiterates support for Palestinians' independence

United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan said Monday his country will unswervingly support the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent state, the official WAM news agency reported.

The international community should take actions to freeze the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem in a bid to revive the Middle East peace process, Sheikh Khalifa said during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

For his part, Abbas expressed his appreciation for the UAE government's support for Palestinians' "struggle to restore their legitimate rights and establish their own state on their land," the report said.

He said sustained assistance offered by the UAE had substantially alleviated the suffering of the Palestinian people "in occupied Palestine under the suffocating siege and repressive measures imposed by the Israeli occupation forces."

After meeting Sheikh Khalifa, Abbas left the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi Monday afternoon, concluding a four-day visit to the Gulf Arab nation.

During his visit, he also held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who traveled to the region to try to restart long-stalled peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

Source: Xinhua