Saudi initiative ready to be proposed at Arab summit
Regional, Politics, 3/22/2002

An Arab minister on Thursday in Cairo announced that the formulation process of the Saudi initiative has been completed during recent high ranking Arab consultation so that it has become ready to be proposed by the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz before the Beirut Arab summit.

The Arab minister who refused to be identified said that "the initiative was formulated during the consultations carried out by Saudi Arabia recently with various sides concerned." He added that differences were settled concerned this initiative especially in regard to the relations with Israel and the question of the Palestinian refugees.

The Arab minister said that "it was agreed that the initiative will state to establish normal relations between the Arab states and Israel for its pullout from the occupied Arab territories it occupied in 1967."

On February 17, the Saudi crown prince announced an initiative stating "normalization of relations for complete withdrawal." The word "Normalization" had provoked Syria which considered it as "an early and immediate obligation for establishing relations among peoples," according to Arab diplomats. And in order to avoid provoking "Damascus sensitivity" towards this matter and not to introduce a fundamental change into this initiative, it was agreed to use the expression of "normal relations" which is considered clearer, according to the international law and define the commitment to establishing diplomatic relations.

The Arab minister added that it was also agreed that the initiative will include a just solution for the question of the Palestinian refugees, according to UN resolution 194. And the matter here is linked to a proposal made by the Palestinians that complies with their position in the negotiations with Israel and leaves Syria content, which (Syria) stresses the need that any comprehensive solution to include the implementation of UN resolution 194 on the right of the Palestinians to return back or to be compensated.

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