Norway reaffirms commitment to two-state solution as Abbas visits

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Oslo on Wednesday, reaffirming the country's support for a genuine two-state solution.



In a statement issued by the Norwegian government, Store said he was "deeply concerned" about developments in Palestine.



While the second phase of a peace plan is now supposed to be underway, the statement noted that the situation in Gaza remains extremely severe for around two million residents, with insufficient goods and emergency aid entering the territory and about 80 percent of buildings destroyed or left in ruins.



Store said Norway expects an end to hostilities and occupation and a lasting political solution in which Palestine and Israel can live side by side in peace and security, adding that a genuine two-state solution is important for regional stability in the Middle East and for Europe's security.