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The United States reaffirmed Wednesday that it intends to vote against a Palestinian request for enhanced status at the United Nations.
“We intend to vote no…. We think this is a mistake,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “We oppose this move altogether.”
The news comes as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met two senior U.S. officials on Wednesday to discuss his controversial bid for elevated U.N. recognition, diplomats said.
Abbas held talks with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy David Hale at his hotel, diplomats told AFP.
The United States and Israel strongly oppose the Palestinian bid for non-member state status at the U.N.
“They had talks on the Palestinian application for membership, the U.S. position on this is well known,” a western official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Abbas will on Thursday put the Palestinian claim for elevated status to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly where he is certain to get an emphatic majority.
The United States has said that it opposes the resolution because it believes the Palestinians should negotiate the path to statehood in direct talks with their Israeli opponent, and not through the United Nations.
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