Moussa highlights importance of Sharm El-Sheikh meeting
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 10/5/2000

Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa has made several contacts with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during the past two days over the current escalation in the Palestinian situation.

Meeting reporters on Wednesday, Moussa spoke of today's meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh which, he said, would follow a prospective meeting in Paris hosted by President Jacques Chirac, with Albright attending.

Moussa said he also made contacts with a number of Arab and Israeli parties to get to know exactly what was going on.

Moussa reiterated previous statements that Israeli provocations of the kind perpetrated by Israeli Likud Party Leader Ariel Sharon when he visited Al-Haram Al-Sharif, should not be repeated.

Asked if an American veto was obstructing a security council condemnation of the acts of violence by Israeli forces against the Palestinians, Moussa said there was no such veto, adding that Egypt was following up the council's debates in this regard.

The UNSC should adopt a clear stance on that score, in view of the threats posed by the current situation to the peace process, he added.

On the Sharm El-Sheikh meeting, Moussa said it will deal with the volatile situation in the Palestinian territories and also with means to reactivate peace talks between the two sides.

On prospects of holding an Arab Summit in January, Moussa said this is the maximum date and expected the summit to be held at an earlier time.

Chirac met Wednesday with Arafat, Barak and Albright.

The meeting was attended by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and French Foreign minister Hubert Vedrine.

Arafat, Barak and Albright had held a six-hour meeting at the US ambassador's resident in Paris.

The meeting produced an agreement to put an end to violence in Palestinian territories.

The agreement bans the Palestinians from demonstrating near three areas in Ramallah, Nablus and Natsarim, said sources close to the meeting.

They added that slight amendments will be added to the redeployment of Israeli troops near Palestinian towns and the need to get those troops honoring the cease-fire.

Arafat was about to leave the meeting after four hour because of Barak's intransigence, but Albright urged him to stay close to the sources.

Chirac maintained a close contact with the meeting from Elysee Palace to eliminate obstacles to the agreement.

Sources close to the meeting said that Albright succeeded in persuading Barak and Arafat to meet following marathon mediation which continued all day Wednesday.

Albright met twice with each of arafat and Barak who had met earlier in the day with Chirac.

The sources said that Arafat insisted that international protection be provided to the Palestinians and asked for an international committee to investigate recent violence in Palestinian territories to see who was responsible.

Barak had accused Arafat and Palestinian officials of being behind the outbreak of violence and held them responsible for the present state of the peace process.

A press conference which Albright was scheduled to hold at the US embassy in Paris was delayed for more than four hours because of the intensive contacts held by the US Secretary of State separately with Arafat and Barak in order to persuade them to meet.

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