During his recent tour of Latin America, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas stopped off in El Salvador on Sunday. (Yes, it even made CNN's website.)
Salvadorian President Mauricio Funes expressed his support for a Palestinian state and said that he hopes it will soon have a place at the United Nations, according to the president's website.
"We want to strengthen our relationship with Palestine ... and contribute to the reestablishment of talks between Palestine and Israel," said Funes.
El Salvador recently recognized the Palestinian territories as a "free, sovereign and independent state," the website said.
Presidents Funes and Abbas also announced their interests in establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries including the exchange of ambassadors and the opening of embassies in Palestine and El Salvador (can't wait for the "Hezbollah/Iran opens embassy in El Salvador headlines").
Funes also offered to assist Palestine and Israel return to the negotiating table.
Independently, Abbas and the newly appointed Israeli ambassador to El Salvador invited Funes to Palestine and Israel. The Israeli invitation, however, does not indicate any elevated role for Funes in negotiations between Palestine and Israel.
El Salvador has an active Palestinian-Salvadoran community including names like Handal, Saca, Zablah, Siman, Bukele and Kattan.
Greg has more on Abbas' visit to the region and what it might mean for Palestine in the United Nations at Two Weeks Notice.
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