 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 27 October 1999 Issue No. 452 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 27 October 1999 Issue No. 452
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Israel urged to 'seize opportunity'
By Nevine KhalilPresident Hosni Mubarak met with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat for talks on the stalled Sharm Al-Sheikh Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Palestinians and Israelis early last month. During last Tuesday's talks in Alexandria, Arafat sought Mubarak's assistance to facilitate the "honest and precise" implementation of the Sharm Al-Sheikh agreement which relaunched the peace process on the Palestinian track after Ehud Barak's election victory last May.
"There are some difficulties in implementing the agreement," Arafat told reporters. "And I asked the president to help resolve them."
Mubarak's political adviser Osama El-Baz said that Cairo "understands that the upcoming negotiations will be difficult and will deal with highly contentious issues".
"We are willing to help the Palestinians, especially on technical matters, as well as giving political support," El-Baz added, before reiterating once more that Egypt "does not negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians".
Arafat also briefed Mubarak on talks between the two negotiating parties, the situation in occupied Palestinian territories, Jewish settlements, Jerusalem and the Israeli siege of Bethlehem.
El-Baz hoped that the Sharm Al-Sheikh agreement would be implemented "in good faith in order to avoid problems and differences on the way to peace". He praised Tel Aviv's decision to tear down settlements which were built without licence on Palestinian land. He described it as "a step in the right direction", and hoped that Israel would "continue this policy because settlements hinder the peace process and cause Israel to lose credibility with the world community".
The presidential adviser denied that Palestinians and Israelis have opened secret negotiations on final status issues pertaining to Jerusalem, settlements, the return of Palestinian refugees, water, security arrangements and Palestinian statehood. "It seems that someone was discussing the framework or procedure of these negotiations, just in casual conversation, but without any authority," El-Baz said.
El-Baz strongly criticised Israel for recent threats against Syria, saying that such statements are "destructive, hollow and do not affect the Arab position in the slightest".
"Israel must stop these threats and withdraw from Lebanon unconditionally," he insisted.
At the same time El-Baz urged Israel to "seize the opportunity" to relaunch talks on the Syrian track according to the principles of the Madrid conference.
"Israel must proceed on the Syrian track because it is vital, and should not attempt to pressure Syria because that is futile."
The career diplomat vehemently denied that there were "political differences" between Cairo and Damascus. "This is very far from the truth. Our interests do not conflict so there is no reason for differences," he said.
On the eve of the top-level talks in Alexandria, Arafat discussed the peace process with Foreign Minister Amr Moussa in Cairo. The Palestinian president arrived in Egypt after touring the Far East and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to find ways to push forward the peace process.
During his meeting with Mubarak, Arafat also briefed Egypt's president on the meeting of donor countries to the Palestinian Authority convened in Tokyo.
