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Clinton, Mubarak optimistic Mideast peace talks will be revived
July 1, 1999 WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 1) -- With renewed optimism for the stalled Middle East peace negotiations, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday he plans to meet soon with Israeli and Arab leaders in hopes of "creating the necessary atmosphere for resuming the peace process without delay."
Mideast peace topped the agenda for Thursday's day of meetings between Mubarak and President Bill Clinton. "Once again, we now have a real chance to move the peace process forward ... Egypt has been central to that process," Clinton said during a joint White House news conference after the two met in private. Both leaders expressed hope that the recent election of Ehud Barak as prime minister of Israel would jump start the Middle East peace process after talks derailed during Netanyahu's three years in office. Clinton said that Barak would travel to Washington, most likely next week, so the two could meet to discuss how to reach final status negotiations in the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians. While the U.S. president declined to lay out his ideas for new accords before that meeting, he did call on Israel to implement agreements it reached with the Palestinian Authority in last year's Wye River accord. Clinton also described Israel's new settlements in the West Bank provocative and said Israel's best chance for security was to conclude agreements with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinians. Since the death of Jordan's King Hussein earlier this year, Mubarak has become Clinton's top consultant in the Arab world on the peace process. During their public appearance, the men stressed the strong and friendly ties between their two nations. Mubarak said he was looking forward to meeting with Barak in Cairo once the Israeli leader was firmly in power. Also, the Egyptian leader said he would meet with Syrian President Hafez Assad and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, although he gave no timetable.
Mubarak, who has led his nation for 18 years, has been working to convene an Arab summit to formulate a united stand for talks with Israel. "Valuable time has been wasted," Mubarak, 71, told reporters. "Today, there's an opportunity which should not be missed. We should work closely with the U.S. and to coordinate our joint efforts in order to have the parties break the stalemate and the stalled movement towards peace." The U.S. and Egyptian presidents sat down Thursday morning for a one-on-one meeting, followed by another session with aides and a lunch. Other topics discussed by the two men included Iran, Iraq and bilateral efforts to bolster Egypt's economy. On other world issues, Clinton thanked the Egyptian president for his nation's support during the U.S.-led NATO strikes on Yugoslavia. "I hope we can carry some of the momentum from what we have achieved in Kosovo to the Middle East as we seek there to promote tolerance and a durable peace," Clinton said. Mubarak's six-day visit to Washington was his first in two years. He met Wednesday with Senate and House leaders. He next travels to Canada. CNN's Brad Wright contributed to this report. |
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MORE STORIES:Thursday, July 1, 1999
• Transcript: Clinton, Mubarak news conference • Senate confirms Summers as Treasury secretary • CBO releases its budget surplus projections • Clinton downplays Bush's record funds, says Gore wins on ideas • Hillary Clinton political staff rents Manhattan office • Gore friend acquitted in campaign finance case • House, Senate approve Y2K litigation bill • Center named as host venue for GOP convention • Greenbacks stashed in men's rooms at U.S. agency that prints dollars • Agnew, district attorneys were preoccupied with leaks • Former NY Mayor Ed Koch hospitalized with blocked artery • Some Republicans say tax cut approaching $1 trillion far too large • Contenders salute New Hampshire • Analysis: Talk of Gore-Clinton tif follows fickle tradition • Senate passes $12.7 billion foreign aid, veto threatened • Babbitt casino probe said winding down • Mubarak makes rounds of Capitol Hill | ||||||||||||||||||||
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