Mubarak - Chirac summit in Paris tomorrow
Egypt-France, Politics, 8/31/2000

President Mubarak tomorrow starts an important visit to the French capital during which he would have talks with French President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin on the peace process and ways of establishing a just and permanent peace in the region.

France, that currently holds the chairmanship of the European Union, attaches great importance to President Mubarak's visit that comes at a critical moment as the Palestinian - Israeli negotiations are zooming in on their final stages.

The latest Camp David summit touched upon the thorniest issues that used to be a taboo since Oslo.

The French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stressed the important role of Egypt in the peace process and bringing closer the viewpoints of the parties involved.

Observers in the French capital of Paris believe that Mubarak's visit gains special importance in so far as the following points are taken into account.

First, it comes in the wake of the meetings between President Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton in which the first reiterated the unwavering stance of Egypt and the Arab world vis -a- vis the issue of Jerusalem and sovereignty over the Islamic and Christian sites in the Holy City.

He pointed out that no Arab dared to give any concessions in this regard whatever were the excuses.

Mubarak emphasized that the liberation of the occupied Arab territories whether in the West Bank or the Golan is a principal condition to settle a fair and permanent peace.

Second, Mubarak-Chirac summit caps intensive contacts and consultations with the various parties concerned.

It follows lengthy talks between Mubarak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat who visited Cairo several times, Jordanian king Abdullah II, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq AL Sharaa, Israeli acting Foreign Minister Sholmo Ben Ami and Israeli Premier Ehud Barak.

On the other side, French President Jacques Chirac received Arafat at the very outset of his country's Chairmanship of the European Union.

He also received the Syrian Foreign Minister who handed him a letter from President Bashar Al-Assad and later received Ben Ami.

The ideas are meant to reach a satisfactory formula for the Palestinian and the Israelis buttressed by international resolutions.

The French ideas, besides Mubarak's, are centered on trying to steer clear of the current impasse after the failure of the Camp David Summit.

The Egyptian and French positions have several common features, as both sides believe that any solution should be based on international legitimacy resolutions.

Chirac on Tuesday sent a special envoy to Cairo to find out her ideas on the current crisis in a bid to pave the way for Chirac-Mubarak summit.

The French envoy will return to Paris within hours to post Chirac on the results of his meetings.

Foreign Ministers Hubert vedrine and Amr Moussa will meet upon the arrival of Mubarak on Friday.

Egyptian Ambassador in Paris Ali Maher said Paris shares Cairo its conviction on the fundamentals to hatch up any formula to end the current stalemate.

Talks in Paris, besides trying to find ways to end the Palestinian Israeli peace stalemate, will also look into how to re-activate the Syrian track.

"The Paris summit comes at a decisive moment and precise timing prior to the September 13 deadline for finalizing Palestinian Israeli talks and declaring Palestinian statehood," the ambassador said, elaborating that among other factors also that importance to this date is Clinton's second term in office whish nears it send.

The Egyptian ambassador said Israel has a certain political will to play a robust role with Egypt in moving peace.

"Mubarak and Chirac also share a special strong relationship," the ambassador pointed out.

In the mean time Chirac made a lengthy telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Friday.

They also agreed to continue talks in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations millennium summit on September 6.

Chirac will also seize this opportunity to confer with US President Bill Clinton on the Middle East peace.

The Egyptian ambassador described the arrangements taken for Friday's summit as unprecedented and as mirroring France's appreciation of the Egyptian role.

France knows quite well the special status of the Holy City of Jerusalem that embraces the sanctities of the three divine religions.

"At one time in history, France was a custodian of the Christian sanctities there and she is still bound to the city and supervises a church there," the ambassador expounded.

France is convinced of the Palestinian right to statehood, but sees that there is no need to take a hasty unilateral decision in this regard.

"Israel's acting Foreign Minister Sholmo Ben-Ami told Paris during a recent visit that a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state would force Israel to take decisions against such state and the Palestinian Authority, "the ambassador stated.

"France believes that declaring a state that is capable of surviving is far more important than the mere proclamation of statehood," he said.

France, as the current EU President, will hold on to the European unified position on that score.

France is also committed to the Berlin declaration that recognized the Palestinians' right to statehood, dismissed any objections in this respect and gave the Palestinians the green light to choose the date for declaring their state.

But the declaration left the timing of recognizing the would-be Palestinian state up to each European state.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak - Clinton talks , positive and important   (8/30/2000)
  Mubarak to visit France   (8/30/2000)
  Secretary general of French foreign ministry visits Cairo today   (7/11/2000)

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