Egypt, Japan for delay in Palestinian state declaration, resuming deadlocked peace talks
Egypt-Japan, Politics, 4/13/1999

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on Monday stressed the need to resume the suspended peace talks in the Middle East and called on the Palestinian Prsident to delay his declaration of an independent state of Palestine.

Egyptian official statements stated that "President Hosni Mubarak said Monday Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat should postpone plans to declare an independent state on May 4, a Japanese official said."

The statement said that Mubarak made the statement during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, said the Japanese foreign ministry official. "President Mubarak said Mr Arafat should not declare independence on the fourth of May," when an interim period of autonomy under the 1993 Oslo accords expires, the official said.

The statement continued "We must proceed with the peace process no matter what kind of government is to be formed following national elections in Israel," an official quoted Obuchi as telling Mubarak. "Honestly speaking, I am also uncertain how Israeli elections may turn out. But we must continue to proceed with the peace process no matter who leads the country,"Mubarak said.

The Japanese premier urged Arafat when he visited Tokyo last week to postpone his plan to declare an independent Palestinian state to avoid endangering the peace process.In a joint statement issued after Monday's meeting, Mubarak and Obuchi "expressed their deep concern over the stalled peace process in the Middle East on all its tracks, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Talks between President Mubarak and the Prime Minister Obuchi also dealt with economic relations between the two countries. Mubarak, for his part, called for increasing Japanese investments in his country.

Mubarak extended an invitation to the Japanese premier to visit Egypt. Later in the day, President Mubarak met with Japanese Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko and also extended an invitation to them to visit Egypt.

Mubarak is currently visiting Japan in the course of an Asian tour which covered China and South Korea.

Previous Stories:
  An Egyptian - Chinese protocol in the agriculture field   (4/12/1999)
  Egyptian company for finance raise shares worth 250 million   (4/12/1999)
  Mubarak suggests postponing declaration of Palestinian state for six months   (4/7/1999)
  Mubarak's visit to China, Japan to strengthen cooperation   (4/2/1999)
  Egyptian tourism promotional campaign due in Japan during April   (3/10/1999)

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