Ramallah - Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of Fatah, Dr. Sabri Saidam, stressed during his meeting today in his office in Ramallah with the French Consul General in Jerusalem, Mr. Nicolas Kassianides, that the time has come for France to recognize the Palestinian state and not hesitate to take this step, especially in light of the raging war against the Palestinian people and in several locations in Palestine, calling on France to follow the example of many European Union countries that have recognized the State of Palestine. Saedam briefed the French consul on the field scene through which the extremist Israeli government seeks to ignore all initiatives and agreements that would stop this war, in an effort to displace the Palestinians and destroy the Palestinian cause. At the same time, Saidam appreciated France's vote yesterday in the United Nations General Assembly in favor of the resolution calling for ending the occupation, praising the humanitarian efforts made by France to provide relief to the people in the West Bank and Gaza, and stressing the importance of strengthening these relief efforts and fully supporting the United Nations institutions. For his part, the French Consul General stressed France's commitment to the two-state solution and its insistence on achieving rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions. The meeting was attended by the Political Advisor to the Consul General, Mr. Theo Sebrodis. Source: Maan News Agency