-Caveat Lector- >From ArabicNews.CoM Mubarak asserts need to resume peace talks on Syrian-Lebanese tracks Egypt, Politics, 4/1/99 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday received a delegation representing the US Congress in the presence of the president's political advisor, Osama El-Baz. Following the meeting El-Baz said that Mubarak discussed his views on the situation in the region and the Middle East peace process on all tracks and the need to revive them on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks. El-Baz added that talks dealt with bilateral cooperation between Egypt and the USA in economic and cultural fields and regarding military aid. El-Baz stressed the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and the establishment of their own independent state. He added that the Israelis are the ones who obstruct peace efforts on all tracks and called upon Israel to abide by peace basics for the interests of all and to ensure stability in the region. "Since many of the articles of this agreement have not been implemented, the United States must do something about the failure to honor the agreement," El-Baz said. For his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa criticized the Israeli decision to close three Palestinian offices in Jerusalem. "This escalation is part of the ongoing Israeli policy to challenge, undermine and complicate the peace process," Moussa said, adding that these sort of unilateral steps "contradict the essence of the Wye River accord, the Geneva convention and the international law." In press statements he made in Cairo on Wednesday, Moussa warned against the current Israeli policy which means a total destruction of the Middle East peace process, regardless of who will be the Israeli prime minister. "If they oppose the principle (of a state), it would be useless to open negotiations on the date," Moussa said. He indicated the positive role advocated last week by the EU in rejecting the Israeli settlement policy and in calling for the need to support the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and to the establishment of their own independent state. Previous Stories: Egyptian - Senegalese FMs discuss African disputes 3/31/99 US First Lady Clinton visits Luxor 3/24/99 Egyptian Shura council denounces Israel's disavowal of pacts signed with Arabs 3/23/99 Arafat meets with Mubarak today Palestine, Politics, 4/1/99 Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian President President Yasser Arafat today met to discuss the results of talks the Palestinian president and US President Bill Clinton held in Washington on declaring the Palestinian state on May 4 and steps that should be taken in light of Washington's opposition to declaring this state at that date. The ambassador of Palestine to Egypt, Zuhdi al-Qedra, said Arafat's visit to Egypt will last for several hours and that his talks with Mubarak fall "in the context of continued consultations to withstand the Israeli intransigence in refusing to implement agreements signed on the Palestinian track." The Palestinian ambassador indicated that talks between the two sides covers "the declaration of the Palestinian state in light of the European Union backing for the Palestinians to self-determination," which means the EU recognition of the Palestinian state. He asserted the determination of the Palestinian people to proceed in building their independent state with Jerusalem as a capital. Arafat's visit to Cairo comes prior to the Asia tour the Egyptian President intends to start on Monday, which will cover China, Japan, and South Korea. Al-Qedra said the question of recognizing the Palestinian state and its future will be discussed during President Mubarak's tour. Meantime, Chairman of the PLO political department Farouk al-Qaddoumi has proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in exile, including all Palestinian resistance groups, and to be announced when declaring the Palestinian state, so as to monitor negotiations on the final status. In Doha, Qatar on Wednesday announced its backing for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The Qatari Cabinet welcomed what had been advocated by the EU at its Berlin summit in voicing support for the establishment of the Palestinian state. Yasser Arafat to start tour to Russia, Japan after success in Europe Palestine, Politics, 4/1/99 During the coming days, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is to begin a new tour including Japan and Russia to continue his diplomatic campaign aimed at informing world leaders of the dangers facing peace process due to Israel's refusal to implement the Wye Plantation agreement. Arafat is due to start his tour by visiting Russia on April 6. Palestinian presidential advisor Nabil Abu Radina expressed his hope that the US administration could compel the Israeli government to adhere to signed agreements. Abu Radina also said Arafat's recent visits resulted in important outcomes, especially the great development of the European position in support of a Palestinian state. He added that the Israeli government has frozen the peace process, saying that the Palestinian side opposes these measures and that Israel should withdraw from all territories in West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, thus it is the only way to achieve peace and security for everyone. He also said that peace requires the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Damascus festival on the occasion of the Land Day Palestine, Politics, 4/1/99 The "Higher follow-up committee" of the Palestinian National Congress tomorrow will organize a central speech rally in Damascus to mark the Land Day anniversary. Several leaders of Palestinian organizations which oppose the Oslo agreements are taking part. Chairman of the Palestinian National Salvation Front, Khaled al-Fahoum, said that the rally will include speeches to be read by the representative of the Hizbullah party; the assistant secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Movement, Abu Khaled al-Omleh; and secretary of the Party Branch of Damascus city, Alaa eddine Abidin; and leaders of Palestinian groups. Al-Fahoum added that the follow-up committee which includes 14 independent figures and 9 representatives of Palestinian organizations will meet on May 5 to complete discussions on developments since the convening of the Palestinian conference, which opposed the amendment of the Palestinian national charter at the end of 1998. <<NOTE: Mrs Clinton (aka Hillary) was just in this country on business. A<>E<>R >> Morocco denounces Israeli policy in occupied territories Morocco, Politics, 4/1/99 Morocco denounced Israel's systematic policy of fait accompli in the occupied Arab territories and the daily repression of Palestinians. In an address before the 55th session of the human rights commission underway in Geneva, Morocco's ambassador to the United Nations organizations based in the city, Nacer Benjelloun Touimi, called the Israeli government to reconsider its decision to suspend the implementation of the Wye River accords, to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and to resume negotiations with Syria. The diplomat pointed out that if the Wye River accords had been implemented, they would have given a new momentum to the peace process and contributed to restoring trust and mutual respect. Instead of implementing these accords and pushing forward the peace process, Israel embarked on new settlement projects and new schemes to obliterate the Arab and Islamic character of the holy city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), the aim being to isolate this city at the political, economic and social levels and ultimately separating it from the Palestinian territories, the Moroccan diplomat deplored. After he denounced this policy of fait accompli and the repression targeting the Palestinians in violation of international conventions, the diplomat said "Morocco is calling the Israeli government to reconsider its decision to suspend the implementation of the Wye River accords," and to realize that "considering the peace process from an exclusively security point of view would necessarily lead the process to a deadlock." He also called Israel to stop its military aggression against Lebanon and to withdraw its troops from the Arab country and to resume negotiations with Syria on the basis of relevant U.N. resolutions. <<NOTE: Some of Mrs, Clinton's activities (the tie-in between Morocco's Palestine complaints. A<>E<>R >> Mrs. Clinton tours Moroccan orphanage, housing project and meets women's association activists Morocco, Culture, 3/31/99 During her stay in Marrakesh, part of a private visit to Morocco, Mrs. Clinton visited on Tuesday an orphanage, a housing project and met with members of Moroccan women's associations. At the orphanage, managed by the Moroccan league for the protection of children, the U.S first lady heard explanations on the institution. With a capacity of 50 beds, children are supervised by a dozen of educators, assisted by doctors. Some 271 children, including 178 boys and 93 girls, have benefitted from the institution services since it was founded in 1992. During her visit to a housing project in a poor area near Marrakesh, Mrs. Clinton hailed Morocco's efforts to fight unhealthy housing and said she is proud that the US Agency for International Development is taking part in the project. The 368-unit project, intended for 407 households has cost more than U.S. $700,000. Mrs. Clinton also held a meeting with members of women's associations on issues related to the social, economic, education and juridical situation of Moroccan women. Princess Lalla Fatima Zohra, who chairs a Moroccan women's association, stressed that Moroccan women are waging two wars: the first against the negative weight of some traditions and against obstacles hampering the exercise of their rights and the second war to guarantee to women participation in the development process. She added that under the leadership of King Hassan II, Morocco has waged these two wars thanks to the action of over 30 associations. Copyright � 1998 Arabic News .com . All Rights Reserved. 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