Abu Mazen to hold talks with Hollande this month on French peace initiative

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) announced Thursday that he will meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris later this month to discuss France’s peace plan. The chairman’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said the main topic of the meeting would be a proposed international conference led by France to promote peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Following the visit to Paris, Abbas will travel to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and then fly to Moscow where he is to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss “political developments in the Middle East.” The Palestinian leader will wind up the trip with meetings at the UN in New York.