Shaath calls for an international move To remove the Israeli wall
Palestine-Egypt, Politics, 12/26/2002

"The official government silence over the Israeli crime of building a wall separating Egyptian Rafah from Palestinian Rafah, was maintained," Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation said and called for an immediate move to demolish this wall which is currently being built by Israel.

Shaath said in statements after his talks in Cairo Monday with Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher that they discussed the current regional conditions in light of ongoing American preparations for a war on Iraq and Israel's attempts to capitalize on the situation "to serve its wicked expansionist schemes in the occupied lands."

Shaath described the current conditions as difficult, delicate and dangerous.

He said that he discussed with Maher the American roadmap peace plan.

He said the international Quartet's decision to postpone all peace efforts till the end of Israeli elections, including the dispatch of international observers, would "allow Israel to continue with its abrasive behavior."

Shaath said his talks with Maher also dealt with the Fatah-Hamas dialogue that will be held in Cairo next week that may also involve other Palestinian organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Shaath expressed hope the dialogue paves the road to a Palestinian-Palestinian agreement that would embody Palestinian national unity and would focus on joint action to face up to the present challenges.

He also discussed with Maher the drafting of the Palestinian charter, he said.

On the Palestinian position towards the so-called roadmap for peace, he said that the PA was told that this was not the final version.

"We are studying it, and in general, it is not very different than the formulas that were discussed before, but the Palestinian position is that as long it has been presented to us officially we will review it to present an official position," he said.

On the Palestinian elections, Shaath said that it would be impossible to hold the elections under occupation, "we did not postpone the elections, but Israel is making it impossible to hold them," he added.

Previous Stories:
  Roadmap peace plan has to be officially announced   (12/23/2002)
  Maher: Egypt ready to support, cooperate with any efforts for peaceful   (12/21/2002)
  Arafat commends the Egyptian role in solving the inter- Palestinian differences   (11/16/2002)

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