U.N. Chief Tells Abbas Two-State Solution Only Path to Peace

The United Nations says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and stressed again that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the only path to peace.

Guterres’ strong backing for an independent Palestinian state came ahead of the release of a long-awaited U.S. plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace and Israeli elections in April.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric says Guterres also congratulated Abbas during Monday’s meeting on the election of the Palestinians 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 on Tuesday.

As Abbas and his entourage left U.N. headquarters, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters: “It was a good meeting.”