Palestinians have the right to statehood, Shimon Peres

"The Palestinian people have the right to have control of its own destiny and to have its own state and own economy," former Israeli Premier Shimon Peres said.

Peres said he was upbeat over the establishment of a global peace in the Middle-East, despite the difficulties hampering the peace process.

Peres, who was addressing the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, called for parallel talks on diplomatic and economic issues. "Development and peace are two fronts of the same struggle," he said.