Palestinians sources reported on Saturday that the Palestinian
president, Mahmoud Abbas, is expect to meet the U.S president, George
W. Bush next week in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations
General Assembly.
Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Sa'eb Erekat, said that the meeting will most likely take place on Wednesday and that it will be preceded by talks between Abbas and the U.S Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
Meanwhile, Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayam reported said that Abbas does not intend to announce his intentions to disperse the Palestinian cabinet and name Ismail Haniyya as the Prime Minister especially since the United States is is still opposing the agreement between Haniyya and Abbas on the talks regarding the platform of the national unity government.
Abbas will attempt to convince the U.S administration to accept the platform. “We want a government that is accepted by the international community”, Abbas said, “We want the economical siege to be lifted, we do not need a new government that is isolated”.
Palestinian sources reported that the formation of a National Unity Government was planned as part of a comprehensive deal that includes releasing the abducted Israeli soldiers in return for releasing detainees imprisoned by Israel, lifting the blockade imposed on the Palestinian government, transferring the tax moment to the P.A and opening the crossing.
Abbas-Bush meeting will be one day before Abbas delivers his speech at the General Assembly of the UN where he is expected to call for reviving the Peace Process.
Qatar, the only Arabic country at the Security Council, will present a proposal for reviving the peace process.
Abbas will head to the United States on Monday.
Palestinian officials said that senior aides of Abbas spent several days in Washington and held intensive meetings with officials at the U.S administration in an attempt to convince them to accept the political platform of the Palestinian government.
The Quartet is expected to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the UN meetings. UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, U.S secretary of States, Condoleezza Rice, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the Foreign Minister of the hosting country will participate in the meeting.
The meetings carry great significance especially since Israel officially froze the Road Map Plan and is advancing in its unilateral plans.
