Moussa updated on outcome of Arafat Powell meeting
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa met late Sunday with Palestinian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath.
During the meeting, Shaath updated Moussa on the outcome of the meeting held in Ramallah earlier in the day between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
In statements following the meeting, Shaath said he posted Moussa on the meeting's details and the Palestinian stance in general as regards the current political issue.
During the Arafat -Powell meeting, the Palestinian side had four clear-cut requests from Washington, Shaath said.
The first Palestinian request was an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian lands, in accordance with the Security Council relevant resolutions.
Arafat reminded Powell of the US commitment in this respect, he added.
Also, Israeli crimes in Jenin and Nablus, among other Palestinian towns, should be terminated, Shaath said.
The second Palestinian request was a rapid deployment of international peacekeeping force in the region, Shaath said.
The third was providing humanitarian and financial aid to the' Palestinian people, especially in the north of the West Bank, he Added.
The fourth Palestinian request was realizing a durable political peaceful solution, Shaath said.
The Palestinian side does not accept temporary solutions, Shaath said, adding that the US accepted the Palestinian Authority's "logical" stance.
Powell will meet again with Arafat on Tuesday after wrapping his tour of Lebanon and Syria, Shaath said.
Shaath described the Arafat -Powell meeting as positive, but its success depends on the extent and period of Israel withdrawal.
Within this context, Shaath noted that Israel Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said earlier in the day that withdrawal would be in a fortnight.
Shaath said he asked Moussa to highlight the Palestinian requests during his tour of Cyprus, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Britain and Norway, to begin on Monday.
Shaath said Moussa will first visit Cyprus where he will attend a UN-sponsored conference on the Palestinian people' e rights.
Moussa, then, will head for Germany to meet with its Foreign Minister, then to Geneva and Brussels where he will meet with a number of European foreign ministers and attend the Euro Mediterranean partnership meetings, in which 27 ministers will take part, according to Shaath.
Moussa will conclude his tour with a visit to Oslo where he participates in a conference for pro-palestinian donors, Shaath said.