Mubarak and Ben-Ami discuss final solution issues on Palestinian track

Egypt has sustained contacts and consultations with the aim of breaking the deadlock of the peace process. Egypt stressed the importance of reaching a final solution that is based on international resolutions and international legitimacy.

Amidst these efforts, which are geared to reactivate negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, President Mubarak received on sunday Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami.

During the talks which lasted for more than one hour, President Mubarak and Ben Ami reviewed all topics related to reaching a final agreement on the Palestinian peace track. Bilateral relations were also considered.

Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said had briefed President Hosni Mubarak on the latest developments on the Palestinian negotiating track.

ìWe are now speaking of a framework agreement, an agreement on all raised core issues," he told the press after talks with the President and prior to his departure.

ìThe comprehensive agreement, related to all details, will come at a later phase,î he said asserting his confidence that this would be easier then.

Asked whether a transitional agreement had been reached and the contentious issues deferred to a larger stage, Ben-Ami said that this was not true because Israel is well aware that this main affair in this regard is to reach a comprehensive agreement on all issues.

"Israel hopes to reach a final settlement with the Palestinians," he added.

ìIsrael does not, rule out the possibility of deferring an issue or two if it could not reach agreement on all raised issues, but this is not on the agenda so far,î he said.

"What is on the agenda right now is to exert genuine efforts on our part and on the part of the Palestinian side to explore all prospects for reaching agreement on all pending issues," he added.

Asked whether a summit between Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak meant that progress had been made on the negotiations track, Ben-Ami said that what Israel wants is to reach an agreement.

He voiced belief that an agreement was much more important than holding a meeting.

"Palestinians and Israelis, as neighbors, need to boost their confidence in each other even if no agreement is to be reached; they also need some degree of mutual understanding to enable them control the situation," he added.

In response to a question on whether he had presented any new proposals to President Mubarak, Ben-Ami said it was not Israel's duty to raise new proposals every day.

However, he added, he discussed with the President several ideas that are not necessarily new ones.

ìThe Palestinian-Israeli peace process that has been going on for too long, is in need of difficult decisions,î he said.

"Palestinians have decided to postpone the declaration of their independent state which was a wise decision that helped the creation of a better atmosphere to resume the negotiations and to seek reaching an agreement," he added.