RAMALLAH, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) suspended Tuesday its contacts with the U.S. in response its decision to close the office of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington, a senior Palestinian official said.
Nabil Abu Rdineh said in an official press statement sent to reporters that the PNA Presidency suspended its contacts with the U.S. Administration in protest to closing the offices of the PLO in Washington.
"The upcoming stage is crucial and a chance to correct the Palestinian-American relations," he said, adding the Palestinian decision "was made in response to the unaccepted American measures."
Meanwhile, Reyad al-Malki, the PNA minister of foreign affairs told Xinhua that there are presidential instructions to suspend contacts with the American administration until it regret its decision of shutting down the PLO office in Washington.
"Meetings with the American side will be useless while they are closing our office in Washington," he said, adding "the meetings between us and the Americans are basically coordinated through our PLO office there," he said.
Earlier this week, the U.S. threatened to shut down the PLO office in Washington if the Palestinians insist to sue Israel in international courts and if the Palestinians refuse to hold direct peace talks with Israel.
