Ramallah, Jun 12 (IANS): Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah with visiting US senior diplomats ahead of an expected visit of US President Joe Biden.

During the meeting on Saturday, Abbas urged the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, Hady Amr to remove the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) from the list of terrorism and reopen the US consulate in East Jerusalem, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestinian President said the PLO "is a full peace partner and had signed a series of peace agreements, sponsored by the US, with Israel," the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Abbas also urged the US side to work on reopening the closed offices of the PLO in Washington, noting that the PLO "is committed to the peace process and stopping all unilateral actions".

According to WAFA, Leaf reiterated that the US is committed to the two-state solution and the mission of her delegation "is to prepare for the visit of President Biden, who wants to meet the Palestinian President".

She said that the US President would discuss with Abbas strengthening the Palestinian-American partnership and relations and finding ways to stop the escalation in the region and move to the political horizon.

"The US administration is keen to create an appropriate environment and to give hope to the Palestinians and people of the region," Leaf said, according to WAFA.