Egyptian-US consultations for facing the crisis
Egypt-USA, Politics, 8/21/2001

Egypt's Ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmy said that US Administration did not reject the idea of dispatching observers to the Palestinian territories, but rather calls for providing a better political and security climate before dispatching those observers so that they may have a genuine opportunity for the success of their mission and making achievements on the ground.

In exclusive statements to AL-Ahram Nabil Fahmy said that the US stance, as was evident during talks with Senior Official in the State Department, favors acting deliberately in carrying out the idea of dispatching observers and did not rule it out.

He said Egypt attaches special significance to the role of observers, as a mechanism for following up measures on the Palestinian-Israeli arena, determining responsibility in violating mutual obligations and the continuation of violence and counter violence.

He said the suggestion of dispatching observers to the Palestinian territories is generally accepted, as it was provided in Mitchell Committee report. However, Israel insists on a US formation of observers.

Nabil Fahmy said the Egyptian political delegation under , the Political Advisor to the President Dr Osama Al-Baz laid emphasis during talks with State Department officials on the fact that dispatching observers to the Palestinian territories is not a solution in itself but rather an element which helps cooling off the situation as observers are a neutral witness of what is taking place on the ground, and a mechanism that could help to implement what were agreed on by both sides according to Mitchell report.

Nabil Fahmy indicated that Egyptian-US consultations covers a series of measures whereby to confront the current crisis and steps which should be carried out on the ground based on Mitchell report which was agreed on by Palestinians and Israelis, Fahmy noted.

He said the Egyptian delegation offered a lengthy list of measures that must be taken by the Israeli side such as reopening the Orient House, stopping assassinations, and withdrawing from Palestinian cities asserting that the list of measures that should be observed by Israel was much longer than that of the Palestinians.

Previous Stories:
  Baz denies dispatching Egyptian troops to back up Palestinians   (8/20/2001)
  Egyptian delegation's visit, very positive   (8/20/2001)
  Contacting Israel is not enough; Washington could prevent it from crossing red lines   (8/20/2001)

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