PORTUGAL: YASSER ARAFAT HOLDS TALKS WITH PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER JAIME GAME AMID SPECULATION THAT HE'LL MEET WITH ISRAELI FM SHIMON PERES
Record ID:
647495
PORTUGAL: YASSER ARAFAT HOLDS TALKS WITH PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER JAIME GAME AMID SPECULATION THAT HE'LL MEET WITH ISRAELI FM SHIMON PERES
- Title: PORTUGAL: YASSER ARAFAT HOLDS TALKS WITH PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER JAIME GAME AMID SPECULATION THAT HE'LL MEET WITH ISRAELI FM SHIMON PERES
- Date: 29th June 2001
- Summary: (W8)LISBON, PORTUGAL (JUNE 29, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV/PAN: YASSER ARAFAT ARRIVING AT PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTRY/ WALKING THROUGH CORRIDOR (2 SHOTS) 0.31 2. VARIOUS ARAFAT WITH PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER, JAIME GAMA (4 SHOTS) 1.06 3. SV: SOUNDBITE (English) PORTUGUESE FOREIGN MINISTER, JAIME GAME SAYING: "Prime Minister Guterres and myself, have been speaking today both with President Arafat and Shimon Peres and we consider that there are all the conditions for a meeting. It will be rather discreet, no publicity but I very much hope on behalf of the Portuguese government substantive results for their dialogue." 1.37 4. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) PALESTINIAN LEADER, YASSER ARAFAT ANSWERING PRESS QUESTIONS: (REPORTER ASKS): "Mr Arafat are you going to meet with the Israeli Foreign Minister?" / (ARAFAT): " If he would ask, I am ready." / (REPORTER ASKS): " What are the conditions for this meeting?" / (ARAFAT): "If he's ready, I am ready. We are not asking for the moon. We are asking what has been mentioned in the European-American communiqué recently in Sweden between President Bush and the European leadership. We are accepting it. This is a very clear line. We are accepting it." / (REPORTER ASKS): "For example, the end of the occupations?" / (ARAFAT): "If you are in my place, what is your reply? Would you accept occupation? Who can accept occupation?" / (REPORTER ASKS): "Colin Powell recently referred to a seven-day period of calm. Do you see that happening any time soon?" / (ARAFAT): "It had started yesterday, although we are still facing very difficult situation from the siege of all or our towns, cities and villages, the uprooting of our trees, especially olive trees which had been planted since the Roman Empire 3 000 to 4 000 years ago in our land. They are uprooting it, damaging it, burning it and in the same time we are not asking for the moon. We are asking for what had been signed, and what had been agreed upon." / (REPORTER ASKS): "Can you explain incidents of violence today in the Gaza strip?" / (ARAFAT): "Five have been injured, three of them are very dangerous." / (REPORTER ASKS): "Can you confirm Peres meeting?" / (ARAFAT): "If he will ask, I am ready / (REPORTER ASKS): "He hasn't asked?" / (ARAFAT): "We are waiting for him to ask." 4.10 5. SV'S: ARAFAT DEPARTS (2 SHOTS) 4.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Reuters ID: LVA5Q8WDZJY3G3PLCX7UYJI27AZU
- Story Text: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign
Minister Shimon Peres arrived in Lisbon on Friday amid
speculation the two men would meet during a Socialist
International conference.
Palestinian and Israeli motorcades arrived separately
at the residence of Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres
on Friday (June 29) night, witnesses said. It was not
immediately clear whether Arafat and Peres were in the
vehicles or whether the two men met.
Peres and Arafat are attending the Socialist International
conference just after a round of Middle East talks aimed at
bolstering a U.S.-brokered ceasefire to end nine months of
Israeli-Palestinian violence.
Arafat met Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama for
about half an hour at the Foreign Ministry. Afterwards he was
non-committal about meeting Peres.
Asked at a news conference if the two would meet, the
Palestinian leader shrugged his shoulders and said: "If he is
ready, I am ready."
He reiterated that the Palestinian Authority was committed
to implementing recommendations of a peacemaking plan charted
by a panel headed by former U.S. senator George Mitchell.
Gama told Reuters Television that he and Prime Minister
Antonio Guterres had been in contact with Arafat and Peres
throughout the day. He said all conditions were in place for a
meeting.
"It will be rather discreet, no publicity," he said.
Peres had been scheduled to meet Gama before Arafat. The
Foreign Ministry said his flight was delayed and he arrived
too late for their meeting.
Arafat is due to address the conference on Saturday (June
30).
Guterres, the president of the Socialist International,
opened the conference with a call to support the Kyoto
protocol on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The United
States has withdrawn support for the deal.
Guterres said the conference would discuss proposals on
Saturday to reform the World Trade Organisation.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None