Mubarak-Chirac talks deal with Middle East deteriorating situation

The talks to be held between Presidents Hosni Mubarak and Jacques Chirac on the sidelines of the Afro-French mini-summit will acquire a special significance amidst the current international affairs, said the Elysee Palace.

The summit, to be hosted by the Elysee on February 8, will dwell on a new partnership for development in Africa.

The Elysee spokesman said President Chirac feels happy for these talks with Mubarak in order to carry on with the previous dialogue the two leaders conducted.

The spokesman said the Middle East deteriorating situation will cap the agenda of the talks. The ideas France has recently presented to the US, Israel, the Palestinian Authority as well as the peace concerned parties will be pored over by Chirac and Mubarak, he added.

French diplomatic sources revealed that the French ideas were balked at by Israel.

The ideas, which will likely streamline into a new Middle East initiative, if they appealed to the parties concerned, include recognition of the Palestinian state as a prelude to Israel's implementation of Wye River Understanding reached in 1998.

The agreement stipulates a third redeployment, resumption of negotiations conducive to a final status solution and resolve of the other pending issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, security and water resources.

French official sources said Palestinian Parliamentary Speaker Ahmad Qorea welcomed during his latest visit to Paris the French ideas provided that Israel should first of all recognise the June 4 1967 lines as borders between the two states.

The Elysee spokesman stressed necessity to involve Egypt in augmenting the French proposals, which are aimed to open political vistas in the region to take it out of its current debacle.

Leaders of the Industrialized Group of Eight (G-8) have appointed representatives to attend the summit after meeting several times to discuss an initiative offered by Egypt and four other African countries to forge a development plan in Africa.

Some twelve African heads of state and government will be attending.