Egypt pursues contacts to contain tension in ME
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 12/21/2000

Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said Egypt continues contacts with Palestinians and Israelis to contain tension in the Middle East region.

"Egypt wants to come to positive stands and a qualitative move in the offers given to the Palestinians," Moussa told reporters during an annual meeting held to mark the end of the year.

"Egypt is closely following up all the events in Washington and the region," Moussa added. As regards Egypt's positions, he said that the Egyptian stances vis-a-vis the peace march are well known, notably on the necessity of re-building peace and handling the reasons behind the shortcomings that often surge.

Moussa referred to the inter-Arab coordination at bilateral and multilateral levels as well as Egypt's contacts with the US.

Moussa said that running peace in a vicious circle and going from one failure to another was behind directing a blow to the credibility and effectiveness of the peace process in the region .

Moussa further added that the lack of sound assessment of the sensitivity of the Jerusalem issue for Arabs and Muslims was surprising and deplorable.

He voiced hope that the same mistake would not be committed on the refugees problem.

He stressed that the peace process was doomed to failure as it began ten years ago with an intifada and is now being buried with another intifada.

Moussa described the current events in the region as after shocks. "The grave developments should have convinced parties concerned that the approach to the peace process was not correct," he noted.

Assessing the ongoing US-sponsored Palestinian-Israeli talks in Washington and whether they were meant to calm the situation in Israel before elections, Moussa said that if that was the goal of talks it would be a mistake for it could further ignite, not appease the situation.

He said the peace process had to be based on a balanced and neutral formula not on bigotry which is abhorrent.

Moussa denied that Arabs would backtrack on their support to the Palestinians. He said the arab stance is adequate although it needs more coordination.

Asked about whether the time shortened by the Israeli elections and changing the American administration would threaten the attainment of a fair peace, Moussa said that no Arab country, particularly Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon or any other Arab states, could accept a lame peace whether the time given was short or long.

"If that was possible, Arafat would have agreed on the Israeli offers floated during the latest Camp David summit," said Moussa.

Moussa warned against the return to offering unjust peace because the time factor was not a sword of Damocles on the Arabs alone.

On his expectations about how Bush administration would handle the peace process on all tracks, Moussa said the new Republican administration would have a different approach to the Middle East peace.

He said Egypt would carry out contacts with the new government in Washington in a bid to settle the situation as soon as possible.

Moussa seized the opportunity to point out that US President Bill Clinton sowed much understanding to the Arab positions. "Clinton had played an enormous role as regards peace, and it was tangible," Moussa said.

The Foreign Minister indicated that the coming months would see detailed consultations and serious talks with Bush administration on related issues to the Middle East, the Arab world and the peace process.

Asked on the Iraqi crisis after ten years of embargo, Moussa said the issue was developing but slowely. He stressed that the way Iraq was dealt with should be reconsidered.

Moussa stressed importance that Iraq's neighbours feel secure about the future policies of Iraq, but such an issue is separate from imposing sanctions. He deplored the sustaining of the sanctions for more than ten years. "The sanctions could not go for ever," he said.

Moussa affirmed that the policy on Iraq should be taken by the conformity of all other opinions and not by confrontation.

He indicated that Iraq's participation in Cairo's recent pan-Arab summit and Doha's Islamic summit was a proof to its changing position.

On the possibility of reviving the Arab-Europe dialogue,Moussa said the issue was not related to reviving that dialogue but with developing it. "When it started in the sixties, the dialogue took only the Arab-Israel struggle. Now the Arab-European relations include political and economic aspects," he added.

The dialogue had been developed through the EU-Mediterranean partnerships and the Barcelona process.

Moussa on Wednesday said that Damascus Declaration has been stumbling for a long time and is about to be forgotten.

Moussa said all the declaration's eight signatories should have the strong will to re-activate it. "The declaration which groups the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member-states along with Egypt and Syria was signed in March, 1991. It was aimed to rally joint Arab action mechanism that would function in crises. Taking that into account, the declaration could be useful," added Moussa.

Moussa described as a big mistake the abstention of some countries form voting at the UN Security Council for a resolution on sending international observers to the Palestinian territories.

"Monitoring the Palestinian territories is important and exigent," Moussa said, adding the Council's failure to adopt the decision should not have an adversive impact on the current developments of the peace process, and should not be considered a fixed indication for the trends of the world opinion about the Palestinian issue.

Asked about the Russian and European stand towards the resolution, Moussa said Moscow's attitude could be reflecting a hesitation or change in Russia's Middle East policy worth considering, while that of Europe still raises question marks.

"The observers' role is not finished yet, and the issue should still be alive," Moussa noted.

On the mission of the fact-finding commission in light of the latest statements of its head, former US Senator George Mitchell, in which he said the panel's report would be fair and neutral, and would not place the blame on any side, the Foreign Minister said the committee's first visit to the Palestinian territories was only an initial tour and that there are a number of assisting experts who will visit the occupied lands.

"A committee, composed of such respected international figures, must be fair and its findings must be credible, based on facts and true incidents," Moussa noted.

He was confident that the commission's members would not let their work become a mere ploy, and that they would do a serious job.

Previous Stories:
  People's Assembly discusses terrorism, economic and press issues   (12/20/2000)
  Egypt stresses necessity of boosting UN activities in humanitarian aid field   (12/16/2000)
  Middle East situation volatile, but has chances for the better   (12/11/2000)

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