The Egyptian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit and the chief of the Egyptian intelligence, Omar Suleiman met Monday afternoon with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian leaders and ministers in the Palestinian Authority Headquarters in Ramallah.
The focus of the meeting was on the internal Palestinian dialogue and ways to go forward with the internal reforms in the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian Minister of Labor, Dr. Ghassan Al-Khateeb, said the reforms in the Palestinian Authority is a local Palestinian demand before the Egyptian mediation started.
Another issue discussed in the meeting was the hand over of the security responsibilities after the ISraeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian delegates insisted that the Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian strip should be within the frame of the road map.
On this issue, Dr. Al-Khateeb said, the talk about the Israeli commitment to the road map is an illusion after the latest statements by Sharon in which he scolded his ministers for referring to the road map in their political rhetoric and asked them to refer only to his disengagement plan.
By doing so, Israel denied the road map and declared that it does not commit to it, said Al-Khateeb.
Arafat commenced on the Egyptian role in pushing the peace talks forward, and accused the Israeli government of trying to escape their responsibilities and commitments towards any settlement in their region.
Abu Al-Gheit and Suleiman to meet Arafat Today
12:30
The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit and the head of Intellegence will arrive Monday in the West Bank city of Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in his headquarters.
The delegates will land in Arafat’s landing area with an Egyptian Helicopter.
The meeting will focus on enforcing the Egyptian – Palestinian coordination in preparation to the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and on the Palestinian reforms, said the Palestinian Cabinet minister, Sa’eb Ureikat.
On his side, Dr. Nabil Sha’ath Minister of Foreign Affairs said this visit is part of the Egyptian efforts to revive the peace process in the region and to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. In additoin, it aims to suppor the internal Palestinian talks and reforms.
This visit was delayed after the suicide bombing in Be’er Sheva that took place on August 31.
An Egyptian inofrmed source said, Abul Gheit and Suleiman will visit Israel in the mid of this month.
