Abbas extends best wishes to North Korea’s Kim

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his country’s annual Liberation Day celebration amid increased tensions between Pyongyang and the United States.

In a telegram, Abbas said the Korean people made “the greatest sacrifices for the sake of its freedom and dignity,” according to Wafa, the official PA news site.

Abbas also expressed appreciation for “Korea’s solidarity in support of our people’s rights and its just struggle to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.”

Abbas’s comments come days after US President Donald Trump and Kim issued bellicose threats against each other’s country.

The PA president also wished Kim “health and happiness” and the Korean people “more stability and prosperity.”

In a separate telegram, Abbas congratulated South Korean President Moon Jae-in on his country’s Liberation Day celebration.

Abbas expressed hope to Moon that his people will experience “more stability and prosperity.”

He also said he is interested in developing bilateral ties with South Korea.

The telegram to Kim marks the second time in five weeks that Abbas has communicated with North Korean officials. He met with North Korea’s nonresident ambassador to the Palestinians, Ma Dong Shi, in Cairo on July 9 to accept his diplomatic credentials.

The National Liberation Day of Korea is celebrated annually on August 15 in both North and South Korea. It commemorates the victory over Japan in 1945.