Radio Orient: al-Quds issue was at focus of tour of King Mohammed in Arab states, Moroccan fm
Morocco-Regional, Politics, 6/11/2002

Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, said the issue of Al-Quds Asharif was at the focus of talks held by King Mohammed VI during his recent tour to Arab states, in view of its central status in any negotiations to establish a fair and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The head of the Moroccan diplomacy told "Radio Orient" radio station in Paris, the tour that led the sovereign to Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Qatar was mainly meant to coordinate Arab positions and reach an agreement on how to rally international support to Arabs' efforts to establish peace, stability and security in the region.

The sovereign, in his capacity as chairman of Al-Quds Committee, has held several contacts in the USA and Arab states, in addition to other personal contacts with several countries to rally Islamic and international mobilization to preserve the Arab and Islamic landmarks of the city of Al-Quds, added Benaissa.

To a question on the degree of Arab mobilization to resume the peace process, the Moroccan official said actions have been undertaken with the USA, which is together with Russia, a cosponsor of the peace process, and in view of its influence in the region. He also recalled the US administration's recent moves, mainly dispatching envoys to the region and visits by some Arab officials to Washington. These endeavors, he explained, were all seeking to resume negotiations and give impetus to the Arab peace initiative that offers Israel normal relations with Arab states in exchange for withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders.

He went on that the Arab initiative follow-up committee, which met in Beirut, has taken several decisions to carry on actions to explain the initiative and urge for an action to convene a meeting between the concerned parties.

For Benaissa, the international peace conference will reach its goals only if some requirements are met, mainly Israel's withdrawal from the territories it has re-occupied since September 2001, the adoption of a timetable for activation of the Arab peace initiative, and clear definition of all the (proposed) conference's broad lines.

He further described Israel's reoccupation of territories, killings and destruction acts as practices that only worsen fears over a conflict extension to the whole region, including not only Arab neighbors but also interests of US and western countries in the region.

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