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Mubarak, Barak Discuss Future of Palestinian-Israeli Peace Talks
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria Thursday to discuss the future of the Middle East peace process.
Barak told reporters after the meeting that he expounded to Mubarak Israel's views on the peace talks with the Palestinians and expressed readiness to make efforts for a peace agreement.
He called on the Palestinians to show "seriousness and responsibility" by softening their stance on the toughest issue of Jerusalem.
Barak's meeting with Mubarak came one day after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat dealt with the Mideast peace process with the Egyptian leader. Israeli officials accompanying Barak told
reporters before the meeting that Barak would ask Mubarak to persuade Arafat to adopt a less uncompromising stance.
In a separate briefing of Thursday's meeting, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said Cairo is keen on helping and encouraging the Palestinians and Israel to push the peace process forward.
It is not Egypt's job to pressure the Palestinians to make concessions on Jerusalem, he said. Concessions should be made by all parties within the framework of resolutions of the international legitimacy, not outside of them, he added.
The minister stressed Egypt's position that any durable solution must be balanced and fair.
Israel insists that Jerusalem remain under its full sovereignty as its "eternal and indivisible" capital, a claim not recognized internationally.
Arab and Islamic countries support the Palestinians' stance that East Jerusalem is part of the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War and should be returned. The Palestinians want that part of the holy city as the capital of their future independent state.
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