German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Wednesday that any unilateral moves such as the declaration of a Palestinian state at this time would be an "obstacle to peace."
"The Palestinian people have the right to have their own state," Schroeder said after a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza City.
But he added: "It is wise in such a difficult time like this to avoid unilateral actions of any kind. This would be an obstacle to the peace process."
Schroeder, on a long-planned tour of the Middle East, met with Arafat for about an hour following meetings the day before with Israeli officials including Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
On Tuesday, he appealed for an end to the violence that has claimed the lives of more than 160 people and left the peace process in tatters.
"The violence must stop. I say that to anybody who is concerned," he said after meeting Barak. "We must go back to the negotiation table." – GAZA CITY (AFP)
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