Palestinian official's trip to US: No change in US intiative
Palestine-Israel-USA, Politics, 7/10/1998

Palestinian sources Friday confirmed that both Palestinian chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian minister of international cooperation, Nabil Shaath, were dispatched to Washington upon request from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

The Palestinian cabinet in its Friday evening meeting was expected to receive detailed reports from the two officials on the outcome of their visit and their talks with Secretary Albright.

The sources said the two officials were instructed to present in the clearest manner a Palestinian demand from Washington to announce the US initiative for implementation of the further redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank. Palestinian President Arafat told US Consul General in East Jerusalem, John Herbst, whom he met in Ramallah Thursday afternoon, that the Palestinians would not accept any changes to the original US plan. A Palestinian official who attended the meeting said President Arafat received commitments from the US that it would not accept any amendments by Israel to the original plan.

No details were available as to why the two officials sent to Washington. But Palestinian Higher Education Minister Hanan Ashrawi said the sudden and short trip to Washington never meant a new development in the talks and that Secretary Albright had a message to relay to the Palestinian leadership through the two emissaries.

Arafat, meanwhile, hopes to involve China in a more effective role to move the peace process forward. On Monday, the Palestinian president is due to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart as he starts a two day visit to Beijing upon an official request from the Chinese leadership. Arafat's aides said the talks will address "the dangerous crisis that the peace process has reached in light of the expansionist settlement policies of the Israeli government."

Deputy Director of China's representative office to Palestine in Gaza said the Israeli current measures "violate the UN resolutions and the signed agreements." He stressed his country's support to the land for peace formula as being the appropriate basis for durable peace in the region.

Previous Stories:
  Arafat to China   (7/9/1998)
  Rahim: US won't change redeployment proposal   (7/9/1998)
  Erekat is cool toward announcements of pending Palestinian - Israeli agreement   (7/9/1998)

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