Palestinian president meets Prince William in first British royal visit to West Bank

RAMALLAH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that the Palestinians are serious about achieving peace with Israel based on the 1967 borders.

Abbas' statement came as he received the Duke of Cambridge, Britain's Prince William, in his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"We want to reach peace through negotiations and this is our position that remains unchanged since a long time ago," Abbas said.

This is the first-ever visit of a British royal family member to the occupied territory.

Welcoming this historical visit, Abbas said he hopes this would not be the last visit, wishing that the prince would come back "when the Palestinian people achieves independence."

He went on saying "we believe that this visit bolsters the friendship between the Palestinian and British peoples, and we are always in need of the British people's support to our just cause," noting that London's increase in its support to the UN refugee body "is an important sign in the current circumstances."

Abbas reiterated his position against terrorism, saying "we are committed to combating terrorism wherever it may be, locally, regionally and internationally, and for that we are in contact with all countries."

Prince William, who is second in line to the throne, expressed his happiness for his first visit to Palestine and that he will meet with Palestinians and attend several cultural activities.

"I'm happy that my country works with the Palestinian side in the education sector, and I hope that this cooperation continues until the region reaches peace," he said.

Prince William is expected to visit the Ramallah municipality and attend cultural and sports events during a tour in the Old City of Jerusalem.