Jordan Times
Monday, May 31, 1999
Palestinian-Israeli track is 'cornerstone' of Mideast peace process — King, Mubarak
Agencies
HIS MAJESTY King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stressed on Sunday that a just settlement to the Palestinian cause was the “cornerstone” of Middle East peace, officials said.
The two leaders met for one hour privately at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in northern Cairo and then were joined by members of their delegations for another hour of discussion, Egyptian Information Minister Safwat Sherif said.
They discussed the Arab position and coordination between the five Arab neighbours of Israel in light of the May 17 Israeli elections, amid efforts to convene a mini Arab summit, Sherif told reporters.
“They also discussed the future of the peace process in the Middle East and the work needed to achieve progress on the Palestinian track in a way to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.
“President Mubarak and King Abdullah insisted that a just solution to the Palestinian cause is the cornerstone of the peace process,” he added.
King Abdullah and President Mubarak are due to resume discussions on Monday before the King leaves for Algeria, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Musa, who attended the meetings and a banquet that followed the talks.
The King is accompanied by Prime Minister Abdur-Ra'uf S. Rawabdeh, Royal Court Chief Abdul Karim Kabariti, HRH Prince Ghazi Ben Mohammad, King Abdullah's advisor on tribal affairs, a number of Cabinet members and the director of the General Intelligence Department, Samih Battikhi.
In Algeria, King Abdullah will hold talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on promoting bilateral and inter-Arab relations.
He will visit Tunisia on Tuesday at the invitation of President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, with whom he is expected to discuss Jordanian-Tunisian ties, the peace process, and other regional issues.
Officials said King Abdullah will fly to France on Wednesday for a brief, but busy, working visit to Paris to prepare for his state visit there later this year.
The King's trip to France is seen as part of Jordan's increased efforts to obtain partial cancellation of its $7 billion foreign debt.
A French embassy statement issued earlier this week stressed that the agreement endorsed on May 20 by the Paris Club of creditor nations will help reduce Jordan's debt-servicing burden.
The agreement rescheduled debts for more than $700 million, one-third of which — $230 million — was owed to France, over 20 years, with a grace period.
In an interview with Radio Jordan broadcast on Sunday, French Ambassador to Jordan Bernard Emié described as “historic” the recent Paris Club decision.
A senior French official was quoted by the local media earlier this week as saying that the King will also discuss with French President Jacques Chirac bilateral ties and prospects for jump-starting the Mideast peace process, following the election on May 17 of Labour leader Ehud Barak as Israel's new prime minister. The situations in Iraq and Kosovo were also expected to be on the agenda for their talks.
Agence France Presse news agency reported yesterday that King Abdullah has meetings set up with Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and 15 major French businessmen, including executives of Lafarges, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux and ACCOR, the first foreign companies to take part in Jordan's stuttering privatisation process.
On Wednesday night, and after meetings with French Cabinet members, the King will fly back to Jordan, to receive Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah Ben Abdul Aziz, expected on an official two-day trip to the Kingdom.
In Cairo, Musa also said efforts to convene a summit involving Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians — Israel's five interlocutors in the peace process — were still being discussed.
“There isn't an invitation for a summit. It is still too soon,” Musa said.
Arab countries could convene a summit “after the formation of Israeli government and after knowing its programme,” Musa told reporters.
Meanwhile, he said, Mubarak and Syrian President Hafez Assad will meet in June to discuss the latest developments, he said.
Mubarak announced last week that consultations were underway to organise a summit.