Mubarak, Arafat go over peace hurdles

President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Sunday went over the problems confronting the peace process in the Middle East, especially on the Palestinian track, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said.

In statements following the Egyptian- Palestinian talks held earlier on the day, Moussa said a thorough assessment of conditions on all peace tracks, the negative general situation in the region, and how to resolve the big obstacles, most important of which is the fact that schedules set are not implemented is being made.

Asked about the current visit of Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin to Egypt, he said it comes as part of Egypt-Israeli consultations.

Egypt also wanted to know the extent of Israel's future moves. "This is an important and essential matter," Moussa said. Moussa added that Egypt's contacts with the Syrians and Lebanese have not ceased whether on the peace tracks concerning them or regarding inter-Arab coordination.

Commenting on Beilin's statements that President Mubarak sounded optimistic vis-a-vis peace, Moussa said he did not hear Beilin saying anything about the President's optimism and added that the current obstacles shrouding the climate made it difficult for anybody to feel upbeat.

On the near withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon according to recent pronouncements by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Moussa said similar statements on that score have been repeatedly made before. Moussa could not confirm or deny prospects for such withdrawal.