FRANCE: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SAUDI CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IN PARIS TO DISCUSS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN SITUATION
Record ID:
222903
FRANCE: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SAUDI CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IN PARIS TO DISCUSS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN SITUATION
- Title: FRANCE: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MEETS WITH SAUDI CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IN PARIS TO DISCUSS ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN SITUATION
- Date: 29th June 2001
- Summary: (U7)PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 29, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN TO EXTERIOR OF HOTEL WHERE TALKS BETWEEN CROWN PRINCE ABDUALLAH'S SAUDI DELEGATION AND UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL MET 0.08 2. SV: POLICE OUTSIDE HOTEL 0.16 3. MV: SAUDI DELEGATION ENTERING BUILDING 0.24 4. VARIOUS POWELL WITH SAUDI DELEGATION MEETING (2 SHOTS) 0.47 5. VARIOUS: : POWELL AND SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, SAUD AL-FAISAL LEAVING MEETING /POWELL LEAVING IN CAR (2 SHOTS) 1.19 6. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, SAUD AL-FAISAL SAYING: "Palestinians are asked to provide 100 percent security for Israel and yet Israel is destroying the ability of the Palestinian authority to do what it is necessary for it to do. The closures are affecting them economically. The violence is perpetrating hopelessness and causing the acts of violence in retaliation. But he (Crown Prince Abdullah) wished him (Colin Powell) success. He expressed satisfaction that the United States is taking the issue seriously with the example that the Secretary (Powell) visited the region." 2.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA9GS8HMJ2H7M9Y2Q8AJQKEE038
- Story Text: Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah told U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell that Israel could not expect the
Palestinians to guarantee security in their areas if the
Israelis kept undermining their efforts.
The two men met on Friday (June 29) on the last leg
of a three-day Mideast peace mission by Powell to back up a
U.S.-led ceasefire initiative. Both sides described the talks
in the French capital as serious and constructive.
The ceasefire endeavour itself looked in ruins on Friday
amid Palestinian mortar fire in Gaza, violence at flashpoints
in the West Bank and fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, who briefed
reporters after the 90-minute meeting at a luxury hotel,
quoted Crown Prince Abdullah as having told Powell: "The
perception now exists that the Israelis have turned their
backs on peace."
Abdullah expressed satisfaction that the U.S. was "taking
the issue seriously", the minister said.
"The Palestinians are asked to provide 100 percent
security for Israel and yet Israel is destroying the ability
of the Palestinian Authority to do what is necessary. The
violence is perpetuating hopelessness and causing the acts of
violence and retaliation," the minister added.
Powell said as left the hotel to fly home: "We had an
excellent conversation as usual."
A U.S. State Department official said: "They reaffirmed
the fundamental basis of the U.S.-Saudi friendship".
"They agreed on the need to move quickly on implementation
of the Mitchell report, which leads to negotiations on the
basis of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338," he
said.
The Mitchell plan calls for confidence-building measures
by both sides after a cooling-off period which Israel says
should last six weeks. Palestinians have spoken of two weeks.
Powell earlier told reporters travelling with him that the
United States would need to think of new strategies if the
Israelis and Palestinians could not keep seven straight days
of calm.
In a pessimistic assessment, Powell also said he did not
even try to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to
accept that a certain level of violence may be inevitable.
He said he accepted the Israeli view that Palestinian
President Yasser Arafat must achieve complete calm on the
ground and not just make a 100 percent effort.
Powell met Sharon in Jerusalem and Arafat in the West Bank
on Thursday (June 28). He visited Jordan and Paris as the last
stops in his mission following a ceasefire mediated two weeks
ago by U.S. CIA Director George Tenet.
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