Washington pursues efforts for Palestinian-Israeli deal

US Ambassador in Cairo Daniel Kurtzer Thursday said he was posted from Foreign Minister Amr Moussa on the outcome of an Arab follow up committee meeting and President Hosni Mubarak's talks with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat held in Cairo yesterday.

He added that he will report on the outcome of the two meetings to Washington to determine next steps.

Declining to say whether the Palestinian and Israeli stances as regards the US proposals had come closer, Kurtzer stressed that Washington is determined to exert strenuous efforts to make headway.

Kurtzer added that the US administration will ask Palestinians and Israelis to go to Washington for separate meetings in a bid to overcome difficulties.

Declining to comment on whether a trilateral meeting will be held in Egypt on Sunday at US, Palestinian and Israeli expert level, Kurtzer said Washington is resolved in light of the two sides' conditional acceptance of US President Bill Clinton's proposals to make active moves within the coming few days to put the peace process back on track.

"The decision of whether to invite Palestinian delegation to come to Washington depends on results of a current visit by an Israeli envoy to the US," Kurtzer pointed out.