Egypt is playing a leading role in peace process

The U.S. Ambassador in Cairo Daniel Kurtzer said Egypt, under the leadership of President Mubarak, is playing a leading role in the Middle East peace process and that the recent U.S. Congress resolutions on denouncing the Palestinian acts of violence against Israel are expressing only the views of U.S. Congress-men and that it does not mean that the Americans approve the Israeli acts of violence against the innocent Palestinian children.

Kurtzer who was addressing the Rotary Club in Alexandria last night said the U.S. presidential elections would not affect negatively the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

He expressed belief that the negotiating process and the return of confidence by the negotiation parities would be brought about and that negotiations would be resumed during next weeks.

It is not easy for Palestinians to forget the killing of their children by the Israeli soldiers, he said adding that the Israelis would not forget the stoning by Palestinians youth of the Israeli soldiers.

The U.S. Ambassador said he was convinced of the possibility of reaching a solution to the complicated problem of Jerusalem. The Ambassador added that Arafat was not forced to accept what has been reached lately in Sharm e1 Sheikh summit which was held under the sponsorship of Mubarak and Clinton.