Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas has met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid.

Abbas arrived in the Spanish capital, Madrid, on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, evening, on a two-day working visit.

The meeting was attended by Ziad Abu Amr, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Riyad al-Maliki, Advisor to the President for International Relations, Yasser Abbas, Advisor to the President, and the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Spain, Hosni Abdel Wahid.

During the meeting, Abbas discussed financial challenges in the Palestinian territories, ways to boost bilateral ties and his planned visit to the Gaza Strip.

The President also discussed with Sanchez strengthening the historical bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop them in all fields, in a way that serves the interests of the two friendly countries and peoples, in addition to a number of issues of common interest.

Additionally, he briefed the Spanish Prime Minister on the latest developments on the Palestinian scene and the ongoing efforts with all parties to stop the Israeli comprehensive aggression against Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, accelerate the entry of humanitarian aid, withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip, and stop the attacks of the occupation forces and terrorist colonists on Palestinian people in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Abbas stressed the importance of the international community obligating Israel to abide by international legitimacy and international law resolutions, the latest of which was the adoption by the UN General Assembly, by an overwhelming majority, of a draft resolution submitted by the State of Palestine and supported by more than two-thirds of the world’s countries, calling on Israel to end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months.

He underscored the importance of supporting the Palestinian endeavor to obtain full membership for the State of Palestine in the United Nations, and working to obtain more recognition of the Palestinian state, to protect the two-state solution that is being systematically destroyed by Israeli policies.

He also thanked Sanchez for Spain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood, which he said was proof of its “commitment” to Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

“We also appreciate your efforts in the European Union and in international forums and your role in supporting the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Mahmoud Abbas

Sanchez pointed out that this is Abbas’s first visit to Spain since Madrid took the decision to recognize the state of Palestine, on May 28. Ireland and Norway took the same decision in May.

The Spanish Prime Minister reiterated his country’s support for the Palestinian people and their fixed and legitimate rights in their land and homeland, and their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.

Sanchez Calls For De-escalation

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

At a news conference with visiting Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, Sanchez said, “Today the risk of escalation is once more increasing in a dangerous way” in Lebanon.

This came after more than an hour’s talks with Abbas.

“So, we must again make a fresh appeal for restraint, for a de-escalation and for peaceful coexistence between countries, in the name of peace,” he added.

Neither Sanchez nor Abbas referred directly to the explosions in Lebanon, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Israel has not yet commented on the unprecedented wave of attacks in which Hezbollah operatives’ pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in supermarkets, on streets and at funerals.

However, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday called on the United Nations to intervene in what he called Israel’s “technological war” against it.