Moussa: UNSC resolution 242 applies to Palestinian lands
Egypt, Politics, 11/12/1999

Foreign Minister Amr Moussa Wednesday underlined that the UN security council resolution No. 242 applies to all the Arab territories occupied in the wake of the 1967 Israeli aggression, including Palestinian territories.

Speaking at a seminar on the future of Mideast peace organised by Cairo University, Moussa branded as "legally and politically mistaken." recent claims that resolution 242 does not apply to Palestinian lands.

He voiced hope that the peacemaking drive will lead to a just and comprehensive peace within which the Palestinians would be able to exercise their right to self- determination and an independent state.

Moussa urged the Israeli government to match with actions its statements on peace, praising as a ``positive step`` the projected Israeli withdrawal from five percent of the west bank.
Moussa asserted, however, that the ongoing Israeli settlement building would blow up the peace process and empty it of its meaning.

Egypt will continue to encourage reviving peace talks on all tracks to work out a comprehensive rather than a partial peace settlement, he said.
Arab countries, especially Syria, lost confidence in Israel because of its failure to abide by its pledges, Moussa remarked.

On a potential Turkish-Israeli military alliance, the Foreign Minister warned against such an alliance which would trigger counter-alliances dragging the region to a cold war.
"Egypt will not tolerate the establishment of any military or strategic alliances endangering the Arab national security," Moussa indicated.

"The Middle East will not tolerate one nuclear power but may accept the existence of two," Moussa asserted.

The Foreign Minister was commenting on the refusal of some countries, such as Israel, Pakistan and India, to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and their gearing up to join the nuclear club.

Taking up the situation in Sudan, the top diplomat reiterated Egypt's keenness on the territorial integrity of Sudan, urging coordination between the Egyptian-Libyan initiative and that of the inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

On possible progress vis-a-vis Egyptian-Iranian relation, Moussa said that bilateral ties have already developed from negative to positive.

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