RAMALLAH, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asserted on Saturday that his Palestinian National Authority(PNA) would continue holding peace talks with any Israeli leadership that will be formed soon.

    Abbas told a joint news conference with visiting France Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Ramallah that peace talks would continue with any Israeli leadership "until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established."

    "We will continue peace talks with the current Israeli leadership headed by Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert or the one that will be headed by new Kadima chief (Tzipi) Livni," Abbas told the reporters.

    He called on the European Union countries "to exert more intensive efforts to push forward the Middle East peace process and achieve the two-state solution, adding "the European role has to be complementary to the U.S. role."

    "I discussed with the guest foreign minister unifying the Palestinian territories and ending the current political split. I hope unity will be achieved and next time we will receive Kouchner in the Gaza Strip," said Abbas.

    Earlier on Saturday, Kouchner, accompanied by Prime Minister of the caretaker Palestinian government Salam Fayad, visited the northern West Bank city of Jenin and pledged more French support to the PNA.

    He told reporters that he had an impression that Livni wants to continue with the peace process, praising Olmert's positions towards the peace negotiations and the peace process.

    Taher al-Noono, spokesman of the deposed government headed by Islamic Hamas movement in Gaza, on Saturday invited Kouchner to visit the Gaza Strip.

    Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip by force in mid-June last year and routed Abbas' security forces. Abbas deposed the Hamas-led national unity government and instructed Fayad to form a caretaker government.