UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday on the upcoming raising of the Palestinian flag at UN headquarters.
Abbas is set to address the 70th UN General Assembly debate and raise the Palestinian flag at the UN headquarters in New York later in the day.
"The Secretary-General congratulated the President for the raising later today of the flag of Palestine as a non-member Observer State," the remarks said.
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution this month allowing the flags of non-member permanent UN observer states, including Palestine and the Vatican, to be flown at its headquarters and offices.
Ban and Abbas reaffirmed the need to make progress on intra-Palestinian reconciliation, as well as to resume talks on a two-state solution.
Palestinians seek the recognition of their independent state on territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, partially occupied by Israel, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. They want Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories seized during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Despite UN objection, Israel continues to build settlements on occupied territories.
The State of Palestine is currently recognized by 135 of the 193 UN member states.
