France, Saudi Arabia to co-chair conf. on two-state solution late July

PARIS, July 16 (KUNA) -- France announced Wednesday that it will co-chair alongside Saudi Arabia an international conference aiming to advance the efforts to implement a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will represent France at the conference, which will be held on July 28-29 at the UN headquarters in New York City under the auspices of the UN, will gather representatives of several UN member states and civil society members, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The conference seeks to "chart a practical path towards a two-state solution" through concrete measures proposed by the eight working groups that held extensive consultations in recent months with various participants, according to the statement.
Adding, one of the main themes will be to promote recognition of the State of Palestine, as the conference will constitute a major diplomatic milestone in preparation for the UN General Assembly meeting scheduled for next September.
This high-level conference was scheduled to be held last June, but the UN announced its postponement on June 16. (end) ma.aq