Acting Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief Mahmoud Abbas has called on the European Union to recognize Palestine as an independent state based on the 1967 borders.

"We are calling on the European Union to help us on the question of moving the United Nations to accept Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders," AFP quoted Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat as saying on Friday.

Erakat made the remarks following a meeting between Abbas and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in the West Bank.

At the meeting, Abbas said peace with Israel would only be possible if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted Palestine as a state and halted settlements, especially in al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Ashton arrived in Israel on Thursday and met with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday.

She later met with PA caretaker Prime Minister Salam Feyadh in the West Bank.

Ashton is due to hold talks with Netanyahu on Sunday.

The international community backs Palestinian demands for a state in most of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) – all territories Tel Aviv occupied in the 1967 Six Day War.

Israel has persistently continued constructing settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds despite the United Nations’ condemnation of the action.

Over 100 countries have endorsed the Palestinians’ 1988 declaration of independent statehood.

Among them, several Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have recognized an independent Palestinian state.

(Press TV)