Powell stresses U.S. administration's recognition of Arafat
Egypt-USA, Politics, 4/9/2002

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell voiced the American administration's recognition of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat as the official represenative of the Palestinian Authority and the elected President by the Palestinian people.

This came at a joint press conference between Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and Powell following the latter's meeting with President Hosni Mubarak.

Powell reiterated the need for an immediate ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from the territories the Israeli forces reoccupied over the past few days.

Palestinian suicide operations should come to a halt, he added.

The presence of American forces will be allowed once a ceasefire between Palestinians and Israelis is reached, he said.

Powell said he intends to meet with Arafat following his return to the region coming from Madrid to which he will fly later today.

At the beginning of the conference, Maher described as constructive President Mubarak's meeting today with Powell, and said they exchanged views on the current dangerous situation in the Palestinian territories resulting from the continued Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

The meeting also took up ways to secure Israeli pullout from Palestinian lands, implement the Mitchell recommendations and Tenet plan in order to pave the way for serious peaceful negotiations, Maher added.

Egypt believes that the only way to guarantee security is to link security talks to the political ones, namely to have them held in a parallel way, he added.

Security could not be realised by force but rather by creating a proper atmosphere that would help build up confidence between the two sides, he said.

Today's meeting provided a good chance to reaffirm Egypt's stance rejecting any change in the Palestinian leadership. Egypt sees all negotiations should be held with Arafat as the elected president by his people, he added.

Concluding, Maher expressed his wishes for Powell to succeed in his mission.

Previous Stories:
  Urgent message from Mubarak to Bush   (4/3/2002)
  Sharon challenges Washington   (4/3/2002)
  Mubarak phones Bush   (3/29/2002)

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