Date, venue of Arafat's meeting with Peres not set yet
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Sunday that the date and the venue of Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat's meeting with Israeli foreign Minister Shimon Peres have not been set yet.
After his meeting with EU Middle East peace envoy Miguel Moratinos, Maher said if the two sides agreed to hold the meeting in Egypt, Egypt would welcome their choice and offer all needed facilities.
Maher said, "I do not think Arafat-Peres meeting will be limited to only security issues." About Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's limited authorization to Peres to discuss only security issues, Maher said, "this is the problem of Peres but I do not think that Arafat will meet Peres to discuss only security sides." On whether he expected Peres and Arafat would meet, especially after Sunday events, Maher said, "this violence is a proof that it is very important to find a political settlement to the conflict." "The Israelis should agree to start the political process and the implementation of the Mitchell report without wasting any further time," Maher said.
"The Palestinian resistance is going as long as there is an occupation. And so today's events should make Arafat-Peres meeting more important," Maher said.
About the 116th meeting of the Arab League Council, Maher said the meeting will discuss means to back the Palestinians and push forward the peace process on all tracks.
Asked whether there were Saudi ideas on the Middle East conflict, Maher denied there were new ideas. "We should cooperate to study the current ideas on the table," he added.
Maher underlined that unless Israel is ready to discuss basic issues no headway would be made during Palestinian LeaderYasser Arafat's projected meeting with Israeli Foreign Minster Shimon Peres.
In press statements late Sunday Maher said: "I have not heard of any Saudi initiative to convene a meeting between President Arafat and US President George Bush." On the use of contacts made with the US in view of its supportive stance to Israel, Maher said: "we contact all parties, and our viewpoint is that contacts are fruitful and important in expounding stance.''