"We had agreed to go get the vote on November 29 ... the majority needed for the vote will be on our side," Abbas told reporters of the planned UN vote. He was speaking in Cairo at a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers.
"If it is possible to start talks on the following day (after acquiring the observer status) then we are ready for that," Abbas added.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority circulated a draft resolution to UN member states on Wednesday calling for upgrading its UN status to that of observer state, despite objections by the United States and Israel.
Washington says it favours eventual statehood for Palestine, but wants it to come as a result of negotiations with Israel. The United States can block full recognition of Palestine as a UN member at the Security Council, where it has a veto, but the 193-nation UN General Assembly can still grant observer status.
Abbas's proposal, to be put to a vote in the General Assembly later this month, would implicitly recognise Palestinian statehood and could also grant access to bodies such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"We do not want to clash with anyone, neither with America nor with Israel nor with anyone else," Abbas said. He asked the Arab League states for their "blessings".
The upgrade seems certain to win approval in any vote in the 193-nation General Assembly, which is composed mostly of post-colonial states historically sympathetic to the Palestinians.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled over Israel's refusal to first halt settlement building in territory where the Palestinians want their state.
