By Xinhua,
Ramallah : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received the U.S. Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama at his office in Ramallah on Wednesday afternoon.
There was no scheduled joint news conference between Abbas and Obama, an aide to Abbas told reporters in Ramallah, adding that both held talks for about one hour and discussed the Middle East peace process.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters at the end of the meeting that Obama has assured Abbas that he will get involved in the Mideast conflict quickly if elected U.S. president.
Erekat said that Obama is willing to engage immediately in the protracted conflict, adding that “Obama confirmed to Abbas that he will be a constructive partner in the peace process.”
“President Abbas welcomes this important visit and considers it evidence of the importance of the Palestinian issue in American foreign policy,” he said, adding “Obama told Abbas he would not waste a minute if elected.”
Obama caused outrage among the Palestinians in early June when he told a major U.S. pro-Israel lobbying group that Jerusalem must remain the “undivided” capital. The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of their state.
The international community including the U.S. does not recognize the city as the eternal capital of the Jewish state. Israel claims that Arab east Jerusalem, which was annexed in the 1967, is part of the undivided city.
Obama, however, corrected his statements and said that the future of the city can be resolved through peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.