Mubarak urges reaching comprehensive ME agreement
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 1/31/2000

President Hosni Mubarak and visiting Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak held a joint press conference following their talks here Sunday.

President Mubarak opened the press conference by saying that he discussed with Barak the regional peace process in a general way before delving into talks on the Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese tracks.

President Mubarak voiced hope the three tracks would witness progress, with Egypt offering all the help it could for the establishment of peace.

Barak asserted the exigency of seizing the available golden opportunity to establish peace and strongly urged against letting it slip by.

Barak said his government had given fresh impetus to the peace process with both the Syrians and Palestinians, referring to his side's signing the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement and promising to execute it within the coming ten days, with the Palestinians taking delivery of more territories.

Barak said it was high time a decision was made by the leaders of the region, now that the third millennium has started, in order to provide prosperity for all the peoples of the region and ensure a safer and more peaceful future for them.

Barak urged regional leaders concerned to share the hope for boosting the peace process between Israel and its neighbors.

Barak flew to Cairo Sunday from Tel-Aviv and was received by his Egyptian counterpart Atef Ebeid before he had talks with President Mubarak.

Barak deflected a question on why Israel was not seeking, like Egypt, to free the region of mass destruction weapons if it really wanted peace negotiations to succeed.

All he said that he was happy that multilateral talks have resumed in Moscow after a long hiatus.

He went on to express belief that his seven-month-old government had given a strong impetus to the peace process with the Palestinians and Syrians, and hopefully with the Lebanese in the future.

Barak said he discussed with President Mubarak the Syrian track and affirmed that his side would be ready to resume talks with Syria whenever it was ready. Barak said he appreciated the Syrians' need for some time before going back to the negotiating table to reach a peace agreement between the two countries.

President Mubarak intercepted another question to Barak and exclaimed jokingly that it seemed all questions were going to the Israeli Premier.

The question involved the impact of internal problems in Israel on peace negotiations.

Barak said those problems were not interfering with his government's current peace drive, nor would they have any bearing on the peace process.

On the Israeli "Haaretz" newspaper's report Sunday on the effect of the internal situation in Israel on the peace process, Barak, reiterating commitment to advancing the peace process, said, however, Israel could not do that alone.

He said he spoke with US President Bill Clinton last week, with President Mubarak Sunday and before that with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Barak said this week he will resume talks with Arafat and next week with Jordanian king Abdullah.

President Mubarak addressed the Israeli press corps accompanying Barak and told them they had better keep Israel's domestic problems confined to the country. Regional peace was now the core issue which could benefit Israel and the entire Arab states.

President Mubarak voiced belief that Israel's internal problems would not, and should not, affect the regional peace process. President Mubarak expressed hope that the Syrian and Lebanese tracks would see progress in order to reach a peace agreement.

Responding to a question on whether the Golan Heights could be returned to Syria before the end of negotiations, Barak, maintaining that negotiations should proceed without prior conditions, said as his country respected wishes of the Syrians, they too should display similar respect for Israel's wishes.

Turning to the Palestinian track, Barak advised against one party turning the table against the other and said the two should work together.

Barak admitted to the existence of differences and obstacles in the negotiatory process, but urged joint efforts in resolving problems.

Replying to a question, President Mubarak denied that Egypt had ever been behind the intransigence of any party and that it sought to see peace a reality.

Barak joined in and acknowledged Egypt's role in deepening the peace process, beginning with late President Anwar Sadat`s Camp David Agreement and all along President Mubarak's 18-year mandate.

Barak said he came to Egypt to listen to the advice of President Mubarak, adding that many accords between his side and the Palestinians were concluded thanks to Egypt's and President Mubarak's support.

Barak thanked Egypt for its undeniable role in advancing the peace process.

Responding to a question, President Mubarak said Egypt was not piling pressure on anyone, nor was it taking decisions on behalf of anybody.

Egypt has never pressed the Palestinians into making concessions, Mubarak said.

President Mubarak urged the reaching of a comprehensive agreement in order to secure the success of Moscow's multilateral negotiations.

Asked if the issue of Israel's nuclear files, and the drive to free the Mideast Region of mass-destruction weapons, was raised during his Sunday's talks with Barak, President Mubarak said it was raised but he declined to give details pending the outcome of the Moscow talks.

Taking another question, President Mubarak said Egypt and Israel have diplomatic relations, with a peace agreement in place between the two countries. President Mubarak, referring to late President Sadat`s visit to Israel in 1977, said he would visit Israel when the time was ripe and when such a visit would help advance the peace process.

Back to Syria's demand for a full Israeli commitment to withdrawal from the Golan prior to resuming negotiations, Barak insisted that Tel Aviv could not do that before the negotiations were under way.

Barak said his government would not cancel what had been agreed upon before in the Madrid Peace Conference and during the times of former Israeli premiers.

President Mubarak said his consultations with Prime Minister Barak were meant to help the peace process and the Palestinian track.

Commenting on the killing Sunday of the Deputy Commander of the pro-Israeli South Lebanon army Hashem Aqel, Barak characterized the incident as probably the gravest over the past 20 years and expected no further deterioration in the situation on the borders with Lebanon.

Previous Stories:
  A sudden summit between Mubarak and Barak tomorrow   (1/29/2000)
  Israeli foreign minister to visit Cairo in coming week   (1/12/2000)
  Israeli foreign minister to visit Cairo   (1/11/2000)

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