Arafat in Cairo for Talks With Mubarak on Mideast PeacePalestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived in Cairo on Monday, December 25, to consult with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on a US peace plan before response to US outgoing President Bill Clinton by Wednesday.Arafat was expected to brief Mubarak on the outcome of the US- sponsored negotiations with Israel in Washington, especially Clinton's proposals, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency reported. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators started their separate talks with U.S. officials last Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to find common ground to resume the stalled peace process before Clinton leaves office on January 20. At the end of the talks Saturday, Clinton raised proposals of compromise on East Jerusalem, the refugees' right of return and the future borders of a Palestinian state and requested the two sides to make final decisions by Wednesday. Palestinian officials said that the visit came within regular consultations between Arafat and Mubarak, as part of the intensive efforts and contacts to reach an accord between Palestinians and Israelis. A frequent visitor to Egypt, Arafat often discusses complicated issues with Mubarak who has been playing a major mediatory role in the Middle East peace process. |
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