Maher confers with US charge d'affaires in Cairo
Egypt-USA, Politics, 7/21/2001

Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher conferred on Thursday with US Charge D'Affaires in Cairo Reno Harnish.

In statements following the meeting, Harnish said US Special Middle East Envoy David Satterfield will arrive in Cairo Saturday to brief Maher on the results of the discussions he held this week with Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

On the American attitude towards Israel's failure to put the Mitchell recommendations into effect, Harnish said that the US and the rest of Group of Eight (G-8) members had reaffirmed their commitment and willingness to see the Mitchell recommendations implemented.

He voiced the group's willingness to send international observers to monitor the implementation.

On whether observers would be sent before calm was restored to the region, Harnish said the timing of dispatching observers was not discussed during the G-8 ministerial meeting Wednesday in Italy, adding that the group was seeking the approval of both sides on this issue.

The group's move is a step forward, he said. On his part, Maher said in a statements to reporter that the G-8 approval of sending observers to Palestinian territories was what Egypt had called for, and had the idea been put into effect earlier, the situation would have been different now.

He expressed hope that the G-8 heads of state, who will begin a summit meeting in Genoa Friday, would underline this attitude, and that the implementation of the political part of the Mitchell recommendations would begin to be implemented.

'The statement issued by G-8 Foreign Ministers said both the Israelis and Palestinians have to approve of the observers, but the principle the monitoring process has been agreed on by the group and does not hinge on their agreement,' Maher said.

On the meetings of the Arab follow-up committee which was held Wednesday, Maher said they were important and were held in an atmosphere of "full understanding."

'The meetings stressed the necessity for a real Arab solidarity with the Palestinian people, Syria and Lebanon,' Maher said.

The minister denied knowledge of reports on an Egyptian Syrian summit next week, adding that consultations between the two countries were going on and that it was not strange for meetings at summit or ministerial levels to take place between the two countries.

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