French President Emmanuel Macron said during a press conference with President Mahmoud Abbas in the French capital Paris that “there is no alternative to resuming peace efforts to achieve the direct interests and security of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.”

“We have a stake in the security of both sides, and we will work with all parties to open a credible political horizon, and we are ready to restart this process and mobilize the international community to find a solution that will lead to a just and lasting peace,” Macron said.

He explained: “I want to point out that France supports and continues to support the Palestinian people through our bilateral assistance and assistance from the European Union or our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees (UNRWA). This assistance will contribute to the building of a future viable Palestinian state, and I want to acknowledge the implications of the global food crisis, especially in the Palestinian territories, and especially in Gaza, and that France stands ready to assist you in this regard.”

He stated: “I want to welcome Abbas and I appreciate your presence in Paris and this exceptional opportunity for this visit and we know this situation has been going on for decades and for my part I think there is a political horizon and we must seize every opportunity to find the capacity for progress, and perhaps this moment in which we live is the most difficult, but it imposes on us the merits associated with the courage of our predecessors to move forward.”

He said: “Abbas’s visit to France comes at a time when we are seeing ongoing tensions, conflicts and terrorism in the Middle East and comes at a time when the situation in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories is more worrying than ever. or. reasons that led to this failure, putting an end to unilateral measures, especially regarding the policy of settlements and the confiscation of Palestinian property in violation of international law, with the aim of creating two states living side by side in peace and security.

The French President stressed that “this visit testifies to the longstanding friendship between the French and the Palestinians and our willingness to work together to pave the way for peace and strengthen our relationship. Now I am talking about peace, but unfortunately I have to mention that we are living in a decisive moment because war has returned to the European continent.”