Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday in the capital Rome, at his office in Palazzo Chigi.
The meeting was part of a bid to help restart peace talks in the Middle East and amid calls for his resignation by Palestinian politicians.
Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini was also present at the meeting between Abbas and Berlusconi.
Before meeting the premier however, Abbas (photo) held an hour-long talk with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano in his Quirinal Hill office and then inaugurated the Palestinian Authority's new headquarters in Rome.
Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno was also present at the inauguration and said he hoped that the two-state solution could be realised to bring peace to the region.
"We are absolutely convinced that the concept of 'two peoples-two states' is the key for a just and long-lasting peace in the Mediterranean.
"The decision to inaugurate the new headquarters for our Palestinian friends to use, shows our strong conviction," said Alemanno, who also urged Israel to stop its Jewish settlement construction.
"It is key that Israel does every effort possible to indefinitely stop the settlements in the West Bank," said Alemanno.
Meanwhile on Thursday, Abbas will meet Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience.
Abbas has been under fire in Ramallah for his decision to delay a vote on the United Nations-backed war crimes report on Gaza, or the so-called Goldstone report.
The report said Gaza's ruling Islamist party Hamas and the Israeli army both committed war crimes during the deadly three-week Israeli offensive in late December last year and early January.
Reports say Abbas gave in to pressure from the United States to withdraw a motion from the UN Human Rights Council to take action on the report by judge Richard Goldstone.
Some politicians from the Palestine Liberation Organisation have apologised to the Palestinian public for the delay, while others have called for the resignation of Abbas and the dissolution of the Palestinian National Authority government.
The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has demanded an apology for the "sin" of deferring the vote of the report, Palestinian news agency Maan said.
The meeting was part of a bid to help restart peace talks in the Middle East and amid calls for his resignation by Palestinian politicians.
Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini was also present at the meeting between Abbas and Berlusconi.
Before meeting the premier however, Abbas (photo) held an hour-long talk with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano in his Quirinal Hill office and then inaugurated the Palestinian Authority's new headquarters in Rome.
Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno was also present at the inauguration and said he hoped that the two-state solution could be realised to bring peace to the region.
"We are absolutely convinced that the concept of 'two peoples-two states' is the key for a just and long-lasting peace in the Mediterranean.
"The decision to inaugurate the new headquarters for our Palestinian friends to use, shows our strong conviction," said Alemanno, who also urged Israel to stop its Jewish settlement construction.
"It is key that Israel does every effort possible to indefinitely stop the settlements in the West Bank," said Alemanno.
Meanwhile on Thursday, Abbas will meet Pope Benedict XVI in a private audience.
Abbas has been under fire in Ramallah for his decision to delay a vote on the United Nations-backed war crimes report on Gaza, or the so-called Goldstone report.
The report said Gaza's ruling Islamist party Hamas and the Israeli army both committed war crimes during the deadly three-week Israeli offensive in late December last year and early January.
Reports say Abbas gave in to pressure from the United States to withdraw a motion from the UN Human Rights Council to take action on the report by judge Richard Goldstone.
Some politicians from the Palestine Liberation Organisation have apologised to the Palestinian public for the delay, while others have called for the resignation of Abbas and the dissolution of the Palestinian National Authority government.
The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has demanded an apology for the "sin" of deferring the vote of the report, Palestinian news agency Maan said.
Source: Adnkronos
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