Abbas Meets U.S. Officials ahead of U.N. Membership Bid
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met two senior U.S. officials on Wednesday to discuss his controversial bid for elevated U.N. recognition, diplomats said.
Abbas held talks with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy David Hale at his hotel, diplomats said.
The United States and Israel strongly oppose the Palestinian bid for non-member state status at the U.N.
"They had talks on the Palestinian application for membership, the U.S. position on this is well known," a western official told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.
Abbas will on Thursday put the Palestinian claim for elevated status to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly where he is certain to get an emphatic majority.
The United States has said that it opposes the resolution because it believes the Palestinians should negotiate the path to statehood in direct talks with their Israeli opponent, and not through the United Nations.
Source: Agence France Presse
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