Abbas presents Khalifa with the Jerusalem Order

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Sunday received Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian National Authority president, who presented Shaikh Khalifa with the Jerusalem Order.

The Order was presented to Shaikh Khalifa for his country's firm support for the Palestinian people and their desire to create an independent Palestinian state.

General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region, and other Shaikhs were also present during the meeting.

During the meeting, Shaikh Khalifa expressed the UAE's wish for just peace in the region, including his renewed support for the Palestinian people and their right for an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Shaikh Khalifa also called on Arab nations to provide their full support for achieving a peace process in the region.

Mahmoud Abbas extended his gratitude to UAE's leaders and citizens for their unwavering support to the Palestinian people's cause and their right to an independent state.

Abbas also expressed to Shaikh Khalifa his determination on resuming peace talks with Israel only after the building of Israeli colonies on Palestinian land is halted. He also briefed Shaikh Khalifa on the most recent stages of the indirect peace process and contact between Palestine and Israel.