Shaath: Barak's actions don't give confidence

The Palestinian government stated that the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak don't inspire confidence among Palestinians, despite his words concerning the Mideast peace process.

Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath said the Palestinian leadership rejects Barak's proposal to delay withdrawal from West Bank and merging the Wye River agreement with final status negotiations.

Shaath added that the proposal would mean delaying the handover of 7.1% of West Bank land out of the 13% promised them under Wye River accord.

The Palestinian minister also called on Israel to complete implementation of the Wye River accord, adding that carrying out this agreement completely is imperative to restoring confidence between the two sides.