President Mahmoud Abbas said that he may step down this year if he achieves all his political goals, which include the establishment of a Palestinian state

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview published on Saturday that he may step down this year if he achieves all his political goals, which include the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"When I was elected my plan was: greater security, economic and social development, achieving (Palestinian) reconciliation, and then independence of our state," he said. "This year there is the possibility of achieving all this. Then I will go into retirement."

In an interview with the Italian newspaper la Repubblica ahead of a trip to Italy, Abbas restated that in the absence of progress in peace negotiations, the Palestinians will unilaterally seek statehood recognition from the United Nations in September.

"If there is no progress in the talks, our second choice is going in front of the United Nations," he said.