Palestinian PNA president arrives in Argentina on Mideast peace

The President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas arrives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 22, 2009. Abbas is on a two-day official visit to Argentina. (Xinhua/Roberto Garagiola)

The President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas (front) is received by Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs Jorge Taiana upon his arrival in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 22, 2009. Abbas is on a two-day official visit to Argentina. (Xinhua/Roberto Garagiola)

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas, arrived here Sunday for talks with his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernandez.

Abbas' visit came five days after a tour by Israeli President Shimon Peres of the country.

Abbas, accompanied by chief negotiator of the Palestine Liberation Organization Saeb Erekat and Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malik, arrived at the Military Base of the Metropolitan Airportin Buenos Aires at 5:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) and was met by Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana.

Foreign Minister Taiana said Abbas' visit to the country "will give the opportunity to exchange points of view about the situation in the Middle East, the sate of the Palestine-Israeli negotiations and the possibilities of Argentine cooperation in that region."

Taiana also said Argentina has all along supported the peace process to achieve a definitive solution in the Middle East to ensure the inalienable rights of the Palestine people to self determination and to an independent state.

Abbas met with Fernandez first in March, 2009 in Doha, Qatar at the Second Summit of the South American and Arab Countries.