Riad Al-Maliki, the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the Voice of Palestine Radio that the French President Nicholas Sarkozy offered President Mahmoud Abbas to have an observer status at the UN like the Vatican style instead of the Palestinian plan.

The offer allows the PA to approach the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to sue Israel. It also includes the recognition of 1967 borders with land swap but without considering the settlements blocs in Palestinian territories.

Al-Malki said that Sarkozy’s offer is to prevent split among members of the European Union on the Palestinian move. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, have indicated they will vote against the proposal. A number of other countries, such as Spain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg, are expected to vote for the resolution.

The EU’s 27 foreign minister’s are scheduled to meet in Poland on Friday, in a session expected to go a long way toward determining how the bloc will vote on the Palestinian Authority (PA’s) UN statehood recognition bid later this month.

Al-Malki said that the French offer “is not acceptable for us since we can obtain the Vatican status at any time.” He added that the Palestinian leadership is determined to go ahead with it plan and to have a full membership despite the US rejection, adding that the PA “has a majority to support our move.”

The development comes two days after French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a conference of French ambassadors that it was very important for the EU to speak together on this matter.

“I hope that the 27 countries of the European Union will speak with one voice and that together we will assume our responsibilities,” he said, urging a greater role for Europe in the Middle East diplomatic process.

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, told Israeli officials during her visit to Israel last week that she was trying to convince the PA to not take the measure to the UN.

The position of both France and Britain, meanwhile, has been noncommittal, with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé having said earlier in the summer that his country’s vote would depend on the resolution’s language.

After peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians reached a deadlock last year, the Palestinians decided to go to the UN to seek recognition of their state on the lands occupied by Israel in 1967.

Israel and the United States oppose the Palestinian bid to obtain an international recognition from the UN and say that the recognition should be made through a negotiated agreement.

On Wednesday, Abbas said that the Palestinians decided to approach the United Nations for recognition after Israel refused to abide by the international agreements and laws.

“Approaching the UN is not an alternative to the peace talks,” Abbas was quoted by the Palestinian official news agency Wafa as saying, “it is an opportunity to get out of the current impasse that the peace process is facing due to the Israeli policy of settlement.”