UN welcomes Palestinian pact as "important development" but with conditions

NEW YORK, April 24 (KUNA) -- The UN on Thursday described the Fatah-Hamas factions' reconciliation agreement reached a day prior as an "important development," but insisted that the UN will support this unity providing it is "under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas." Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told the daily press briefing in answer to a question that the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, is meeting today with President Abbas to get his "assessment on this important development, among other things," adding that the UN "continues to support Palestinian unity based on the PLO commitments and under the leadership of President Abbas." While Fatah recognizes the existence of Israel, Hamas does not.
After a seven-year split, the two rival Palestinian factions announced that they will form a National Unity Government within five weeks made of technocrats.
Asked to comment on Israel's decision to suspend the negotiations with the Palestinians because of the pact, Haq said "recent developments would need to be assessed," adding that the members of the Middle East Quartet - UN, US, EU and Russia - "would be expected to evaluate what has happened and would continue to press the parties to continue with negotiations to move forward on the goal of a two-state solution." (end) sj.sd