Nabil Fahmi: Egypt is not party to Bush guarantees to Sharon
Egypt-USA, Politics, 3/29/2005

Egypt has called on the US Administration to adopt a clear-cut stance towards the Israeli government plan for expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank and building more houses there.

Egypt's ambassador in Washington Nabil Fahmy, at his meeting with prominent State Department officials, reiterated Egypt's stance regarding the need for the establishment of the Palestinian State on the basis of the international legitimacy and on the territories occupied in 1967.

He said Washington should clarify its stance towards the Israeli settlement activity inasmuch as it condemns the Palestinian acts of violence.

Fahmy warned of the consequences of imposing pre-arragned positions before launching negotiations on the final status negotiations.

Fahmy informed David Welch, the Assistant Secretary of State that Egypt's stance stresses the need for negotiating on the basis of international law as was the case with the Egyptian - Israeli negotiations which culminated with the signing of the US guarantees to Israel.

As for the US letter of guarantees to Israel regarding the key West Bank settlements, Nabil Fahmy told Al Ahram that Egypt was not party to the mutual assurances between Israel and the United States and did not accept it.

He warned of the risks of halting the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians unless the two sides come by themselves to the final solution.

He said all efforts currently exerted for establishing peace would be completely dissipated, a development which Egypt does not favour.

In a bid to eliminate any ambiguity in the US stance, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Washington was committed to the text of the letter of assurances given by President George Bush to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last year and to Israel's plan to keep big settlement blocs in the West Bank when a final agreement is reached for establishing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

However, she expressed Washington's concern over the plan for expanding Maale Adomim settlement, which is close to east Jerusalem.

Rice said changes on the ground and changes in the big demographic centers should be put into consideration during any final status negotiations.

He said there is an agreement between the US administration and Israel on this issue.

She regretted the fact that some quarters in Israel are attempting to exploit this issue.

However, she said Washington does not seek to make accelerated judgments on the results of the final status negotiations. A spokesman for the Israeli government said in statements to the BBC that big settlement centers would remain under the Israeli sovereignty in any settlement to be reached in future with the Palestinians on expanding Masle Adomim settlement.

Meantime, General Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defence Minister flew for Washington yesterday for talks with his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Previous Stories:
  Successful Egyptian-French summit   (3/25/2005)
  Mubarak insists on rights of Palestinians, diplomacy with Iran   (3/25/2005)
  Israel appoints an ambassador to Egypt   (3/24/2005)
  Awwad: Mubarak's visit to Washington was not originally scheduled to be adjourned   (3/15/2005)
  Madeline Albright: Washinghton looks forward to Mubarak's visit   (1/27/2005)

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