Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Al-Maliki said that the Palestinians are not preparing for negotiations with Israel. PHOTO: AFP.

The Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Foreign of Affairs on Sunday denied reports that his government was building a team for the renewal of peace talks with Israel.

In an interview on “Voice of Palestine” radio, Riyad Al-Maliki said that the Palestinian leadership has not put together a new negotiations team, given the lack of international or regional initiatives to renew peace talks.

Al-Maliki also took the opportunity to criticize Israel, and claimed that the Jewish state is not interested in renewing talks with the Palestinians.

Al-Maliki’s comments came in response to a report by Palestinian news agency Quds Net which cited sources close to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas indicating that he was setting up a negotiations team at the request of the United States, Israel’s NRG reported.

According to the Quds Net report, this American-backed negotiation team includes Palestinians with political and business influence as well as Palestinian security officials.