Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pushes For 2-state Solution In Talks With Palestinians

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during which the UN chief reiterated that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only path to peace

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jan, 2019 ) :Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during which the UN chief reiterated that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only path to peace.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres also congratulated Abbas during Monday's meeting on the election of Palestine to preside over the Group of 77, a bloc of 134 mainly developing nations and China that promotes their collective interests at the United Nations. Abbas will take over the chairmanship from Egypt later today.

"It was a good meeting," Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters as President Abbas left UN Headquarters.

Palestine, a non-member observer state at the UN since November 2012, won the presidency of the Group of 77 in October, with 146 countries voting in favor, three opposed (the United States, Israel and Australia), and 15 abstaining.

"This is an important historical event added to the political achievements of the State of Palestine since it joined the UN as an observer state in 2012. It is also an important achievement to assert the Palestinian identity in the international community, which colonial powers have tried to abolish over many centuries." Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said.

Founded on June 15, 1964 by the "Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries", G77 is now a coalition of 134 developing nations whose aim is to enhance common economic interests.

President Abbas will is accompanied by Riyad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs Majdi al-Khalidi, the president's diplomatic adviser, Palestine's ambassador to UN, Riyad Mansour, and Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

"We will do all we can, under President Mahmoud Abbas' leadership, to make our presidency over the Group of 77 and China in 2019 a success to win the world's confidence and respect for Palestine, its officials and leadership", Ambassador Mansour said.In 2012, the UN overwhelmingly granted Palestine non-state observer status through a vote in the General Assembly despite a fierce diplomatic campaign mounted by Israel. The move enabled the Palestinians to join international organizations and the International Criminal Court, though they did not become a full UN member state.However, an upgrade to full membership would require backing from the Security Council -- an unlikely outcome, given that US has veto power. Several attempts in the past have been blocked by Washington.The Group of 77, which got its name from 77 founding members, is a group of 133 developing countries at the United Nations. China aligns itself with the group, whose aim is to promote collective economic interests of the members and to try to have a bigger say in the world organization.