( CNN ) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas , who is on a three-country tour in Latin America in a bid to build support for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state , met with the president of El Salvador on Sunday . Salvadorian President Mauricio Funes expressed his support for a Palestinian state and said that he hopes it will soon have a place at the United Nations , according to the president 's website . `` We want to strengthen our relationship with Palestine ... and contribute to the reestablishment of talks between Palestine and Israel , '' said Funes . El Salvador recently recognized the Palestinian territories as a `` free , sovereign and independent state , '' the website said . Abbas made the bid for the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state last month , a move Israel says is premature without direct talks that address its longstanding security concerns . A U.N. committee is expected to issue a report on its analysis of the historic Palestinian bid soon . If a majority of the committee says the prospective Palestinian state fulfills the U.N. charter 's requirements , it will send the application back to the full Security Council for a vote . The Palestinians would then need nine of 15 votes in their favor , and no veto from any of the five countries that are permanent members of the Security Council . U.S. officials have vowed to block the measure , though they most likely want to avoid an American veto out of concern over a potential backlash across the Middle East . The General Assembly , however , could still vote to upgrade the status of Palestinians , who currently hold the status of nonvoting observer `` entity . '' The body could change that status to permanent observer `` state , '' identical to the Vatican 's standing at the United Nations . Abbas ' effort to gain U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state is also opposed by Hamas , the Palestinian organization that controls Gaza . He previously visited the Dominican Republic and is scheduled to wrap up his tour in Colombia this week . Journalist Merlin Rodriguez contributed to this report .
The Palestinian president expresses support for a Palestinian state . The Palestinian Authority president has called for The Palestinian Authority recognition of a Salvadorian state . Merlin Rodriguez is on a three -country tour in the Middle East .