Butaflika, Weld al-Taye, prince Rasheed meets with Peres in Madrid conference

The Israeli Haaretz said that the Israeli deputy premier Shimon Peres met on Thursday in Madrid the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika, on the sideline of the terrorism fighting conference in Madrid.

The paper said that Peres and Butaflika were taking part in a reception during the conference and the two men "embraced each other." Peres also met in Madrid with the President of Mauritania Mu'aweya Weld al-Taye and with the Moroccan prince Rasheed.

The paper quoted the Mauritanian President as saying that "Mauritania was the only country in the Arab world which continued its relations with Israel along the four years of the Palestinian Intifada." He said he supports renewed peace process.

Prince Rasheed for his part expressed hope that proper conditions will be created at the near future to normalize relations between Morocco and Israel. On Thursday Peres met with the Palestinian officials Muhammad Dahlan and Saeb Oreikat in the presence of the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Moratinos and the discussed means of giving the peace process a push forward.