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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 3 - 9 August 2000 Issue No. 493
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Maintaining the momentum
By Nevine Khalil
Inter-Arab consultations intensified this week as the countdown continued towards 13 September, the date on which Palestinian President Yasser Arafat vowed to declare a state regardless of progress in negotiations with the Israelis.
President Hosni Mubarak travelled to Tripoli for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and then played host in Alexandria to Jordan's King Abdullah as well as Arafat. He spoke by telephone to other Arab leaders, including United Arab Emirates chief-of-state Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahayan. Mubarak was also briefed by Edward Walker, US under-secretary of state for Middle East affairs, on the inconclusive Camp David talks which ended last week. Mubarak will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak today or tomorrow to listen to his perspective on the outcome of Camp David and what to expect next in the peace process.
Mubarak's chief political adviser, Osama El-Baz, said that the president aims "to promote the peace process and continue its momentum without regression." Mubarak will be talking to more leaders around the globe "to crystallise strong support for the Palestinians," he added.
The question on every one's mind, however, is whether some form of Arab summit meeting is in the making. In statements on Monday, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa was non-committal on the matter. He denied, however, that a date has been set for such a summit.
President Hosni Mubarak travelled to Tripoli for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and then played host in Alexandria to Jordan's King Abdullah and US Under-Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs Edward Walker
(photos: Ahmed Afifi and Mohamed Abdel-Fattah)
Moussa stressed, on the other hand, that talks between Arab governments will continue at many levels. The country's top diplomat added that an Arab summit should be held "for its own sake, because there are many Arab issues that need to be addressed." As for the peace process, "we are at a stage of consultations and coordination of positions, not preparing for any summit," he said.
Egypt and Jordan discussed the outcome of the Camp David summit, that dealt with final status issues, and problems facing negotiations on interim arrangements, which were resumed on Sunday. Most prominent among the final status problems is the future status of Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is a very important and sensitive issue;" said Moussa, "one cannot ignore Muslim and Christian interests there."
Earlier on Monday, Mubarak met with US envoy Walker. The American official's 14-country mission is directed at briefing leaders in the region on the Camp David summit. He kicked off his tour, which does not include Israel, by visiting Egypt for talks with Mubarak and Moussa. Walker presented the US perspective on Camp David and what the next moves should be. "Now we have listened to the Palestinian side, the American side, and will soon listen to the Israeli perspective," Moussa said.
Walker said that he had "extensive and good consultations" in Egypt, adding that his tour was to "seek advice and counsel." "All our efforts [aim] to get an agreement which all sides can live with and respect," said Walker. He would not comment on President Bill Clinton's recent statements, which were met with dismay in the Arab world, on moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "I am not going to go into details about how we will deal with this issue," said the American diplomat, "but we need to deal with it. We will have the help of our friends in Egypt for that."
Moussa later said that Cairo will not attempt to convince the Palestinians to accept less than complete sovereignty over East Jerusalem. "For whose benefit will we do that?" he asked. "It is not our job." He added that Egypt, however, will assist in "saving the peace process, helping American efforts, and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions."
A day earlier, on Sunday, Mubarak was in Tripoli for talks with Libya's Gaddafi. The agenda of the previously-unannounced visit dealt with the prospects of achieving peace in the Middle East, African issues and bilateral relations.
Sources said that Mubarak's visit to Libya was due to take place a month earlier but was postponed several times. The Mubarak-Gaddafi talks mainly focused on African issues, to which Libya currently devotes great attention. Libya is also attempting to resolve a number of conflicts on the continent.
During the week, Mubarak also spoke by telephone with the UAE's Sheikh Zayed. The President had visited Saudi Arabia on 23 July, two days before the end of the Camp David summit, to coordinate with its leadership on pressing issues such as sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Moussa said that there is "clear coordination among all Arab states, based on the wish for continued negotiations, making progress and the declaration of Palestinian statehood." He affirmed that Egypt will recognise a Palestinian state as soon as it is declared, "whenever that will be."
Related stories:
'Pray in Jerusalem' - 27 July - 2 August 2000
A new state of play- 27 July - 2 August 2000
Shattered on impact - 27 July - 2 August 2000
