Time ripe for Arab summit

The offer provided by Israel to the Palestinians are far less than logical and have nothing to do with good intentions," said Foreign Minister Amr Moussa late Sunday.

In press statements following his meeting with European Middle East Peace Envoy Miguel Moratinos, Moussa voiced hope that the projected meeting between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Premier Ehud Barak would help improve the situation on the Palestinian tracks.

Asked whether the European Union (EU) would launch a new initiative, Moussa said there were no new initiatives.

The top Egyptian diplomat pointed out that his meeting with Moratinos tackled the situation on all tracks.

Moussa regretted contradiction between Israel's statement and its negotiating attitude. He dubbed such a contradiction as cheer passivism.

Asked about impact of deadlocked tracks on normalization, Moussa said the stalled peace tracks makes peoples and businessmen freeze normalization.

On Egypt's possible hosting of the Middle East and North Africa Conference (MENA), Moussa stressed that Egypt might host the conference.

On Egypt's support to Lebanese resistance, Moussa said the resistance remains active due to Israel's occupation of their country.

He pointed out that only an Israeli withdrawal to internationally-recognized borders could be acceptable, but it is preferable, to have it as part of a comprehensive peace deal.

Asked about the need to hold an Arab summit meeting, Moussa said President Mubarak tirelessly calls for holding such a meeting. He voiced belief that it is time to hold an Arab summit meeting, adding there is an agreement on holding the summit meeting but not in the near future.

On the possibility of holding a mini-summit of countries of the Damascus Declaration, Moussa said he will call for a ministerial meeting soon in Cairo. He voiced hope that the meeting would bear the projected outcome.

"The EU believes that the Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East peace," said Moratinos.

He voiced concern over reports about the recent deadlock in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

Moratinos voiced hope that negotiations would score progress in the quest for a comprehensive peace deal by September. He pointed out that he will leave for Lebanon on Monday to discuss developments on the Lebanese track.

Moussa asserted that Egypt is following up with deep concern the recent developments in Sudan.

"Egypt sees these developments as internal affairs," Moussa said answering questions on the Egypt's assessment to the showdown between Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and ousted Parliament Speaker Hassan Al-Turabi.

On the latest developments in the Egyptian-Libyan initiative, Moussa said that both countries are keen on continuing work to achieve national reconciliation in Sudan. Moussa voiced hope that the initiative would achieve its goals .