Barak is expected to meet Arafat in Cairo very soon
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 1/31/2001

Israeli sources close to the divan of the Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak expected a convening of a meeting between Barak and Arafat in Cairo within the few coming days.

The Israeli Hebrew ­ language radio quoted the Israeli daily Maareve as saying on Tuesday that Barak and Arafat received an invitation from the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who seeks a joint Israeli- Palestinian announcement in which the two sides stressed their commitment to the peace process.

He added that the meeting will be held before making the coming Israeli elections on February 6th.

The office of the chairman of the Israeli Likud party Ariel Sharon commented on the news and said that such a meeting if " it takes place, will be a mere attempt to salvage Barak in the coming elections." It stressed it is an unveiled attempt that will not affect results of the elections and it has no links to the process of the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Maareve also added that Mubarak on Monday talked with Barak and Arafat in an attempt to arrange such a meeting during the current week.

The paper added the meeting aims making Barak and Arafat issuing a joint statement in which they reiterate their commitment to the negotiation operation and agree on a work agenda between the two sides to reach a permanent settlement.

The meeting's agenda also state to resume the palestinian- Israeli negotiations by the beginning of March and to sign an agreement on March 15 to this effect, Israeli political sources said on Monday evening that the UN secretary general Kofi Annan plays a role in the attempts aiming at convening such a meeting.

Previous Stories:
  Confrontations between the Palestinians and Israeli forces continue   (1/30/2001)
  Sharon confers with American delegation   (1/30/2001)
  Human rights center reveals Israeli police torture against Palestinians   (1/29/2001)

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