ISRAEL: WILLIAM BURNS , US ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST MEETS FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM

Record ID: 400931

  • Title: ISRAEL: WILLIAM BURNS , US ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST MEETS FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM
  • Date: 24th June 2004
  • Summary: (EU) TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (JUNE 24, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. UNITED STATES ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST WILLIAM BURNS ARRIVING FOR MEETING WITH ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM SEATED IN OFFICE 0.18 2. VARIOUS OF BURNS AND SHALOM TALKING 0.34 3. WIDE OF BURNS AND SHALOM SHAKING HANDS 0.37 4. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) UNITES STATES ENVOY TO T
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVA3PNDCYTWTU0WHX2871LYSF3YC
  • Story Text: U.S. envoy to Middle East meets Israeli Foreign
    Minister.




    Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met the
    United States envoy to the Middle East William's Burns on
    Thursday (June 24) in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to
    discuss Israel's development with the Gaza disengagement
    plan.

    Burns emphasised the American support and commitment to
    the success of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
    pullout plan.

    "As you know the President Bush is determined to do
    everything that the Unites States can to provide strong
    support for Israel's initiative to withdraw from Gaza and
    parts of the West Bank. And toward that end I have been
    travelling through the region, I went first to Egypt right
    before General Suleiman's visit here, and then met earlier
    today as he mentioned with other Quartet envoys, again as
    part of the efforts to mobilise support for Israel's
    initiative, and to try to make a success of it because the
    president is firmly convinced that this represents a real
    opportunity for Israelis as well as for Palestinians.",
    Burns said.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to remove
    all 21 settlements from the Gaza Strip and four of 120 from
    the West Bank won cabinet approval in principle this month,
    but the removal of Jewish enclaves still needs another vote
    in March.

    Shalom met Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman on
    Wednesday (June 23) to discuss an Egyptian presence in Gaza
    following a future Israeli withdrawal.

    Suleiman told Shalom yesterday that he believed
    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat would implement reforms
    within two months and Shalom expressed reservations about
    an Egyptian proposal to deploy an international force in
    Gaza, Israeli officials said.


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