Norwegian foreign minister to help in mediation
Norwegian Foreign Minister Kurt Vollebaek arrives in mid January to the Middle East to hold discussions between the two parties involved in the Palestinian peace process.
An official at the Norwegian embassy in Cairo said that both the Palestinians and Israelis requested this visit, and he said that the Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank will be one of the main subjects of the talks Vollebaek hopes to hold on his visit.
Israel wanted to grant the Palestinians 10% from the West Bank occupied territories in the coming phase of the withdrawal process in 1998, while the Palestinians demanded 60%.
Norway played a major role in the initial agreement between Israel and Palestine.