US focused on future amid Palestinian UN bid: Clinton

New York: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said today the United States was focused on the future irrespective of whether the Palestinians submit a bid for UN membership of a state. “I think it is important to note that regardless of what happens tomorrow in the United Nations, we remain focused on the day after,” Clinton said as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas prepared to make the application today. [caption id=“attachment_90340” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosts a Trans-Atlantic Dinner for Foreign Ministers from EU and NATO countries. Reuters”] [/caption] The United States has led a diplomatic drive to try to persuade the Palestinians to drop their bid to be admitted to the United Nations as a state — something also vigorously opposed by Israel. But Abbas is set to hand over the formal letter on Friday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, just before or after the Palestinian leader addresses the UN General Assembly. The move would then go before the 15-member UN Security Council, where the United States has threatened to impose its veto as one of the five non-permanent members. Clinton told reporters she “was encouraged to hear from both the leadership of the Palestinians and the Israeli government their continuing commitment to direct negotiations.” “They both recognize that there has to be a resolution of the outstanding issues to produce a functioning Palestinian state that fulfills the aspirations of the Palestinian people and there have to be agreements that provide Israel with the security that it seeks living side by side with the new Palestinian state.” PTI