EGYPT: EGYPTIAN PRESIDNT HOSNI MUBARAK HOLDS TALKS WITH SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL AND PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS.

Record ID: 647836

  • Title: EGYPT: EGYPTIAN PRESIDNT HOSNI MUBARAK HOLDS TALKS WITH SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL AND PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS.
  • Date: 21st July 2003
  • Summary: (U6) CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: EXTERIOR ITTIHADIYA PALACE 0.04 (U6) CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 2. GV/MV/PAN: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK MEETING PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS, ABBAS AND MUBARAK SEATED FOR TALKS (3 SHOTS) 0.25 (U6) CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. GV/PAN/MV: ABBAS ARRIVING FOR NEWS BRIEFING, JOURNALISTS (2 SHOTS) 0.39 4. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER MAHMOUD ABBAS SAYING: "With regard to the Palestinian groups and their activities, our main concern is the ceasefire on which we have agreed with the Palestinians organisations and to which all the Palestinian groups are committed. These organisations are still committed (to the ceasefire) and law still rules in every place. This is our main concern: that there be an atmosphere of security and stability in our areas. And this is what is happening now in the Gaza Strip and Bethlehem. "There is no doubt that the quartet, which established and put in place the road map, is the best (means) to implement this map. It is one that has committed to it and sponsored it and which presented it to us officially. And therefore we think that presence of the quartet is very important and we will continue talking about the importance of the quartet because it is an international guarantee for the implementation of the road map. The Palestinian authority is trying to apply the public law through agreement with all the factions. We agree with all the factions that the public law, for the sake of citizens and the nation, must be applied. And everybody is satisfied by this."/ (SOME CUTAWAYS) 2.12 (U6) CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 5. GV/PAN/MV: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK MEETING SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL, MUBARAK AND AL-FAISAL SEATED FOR TALKS (4 SHOTS) 2.31 (U6) CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL 6. GV: MEDIA; SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL STANDING FOR PRESS CONFERENCE 2.38 7. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL SAYING: "We think that among the positive aspects of the establishment of this Council is that it comes as a result of article 9, resolution 1384. (The establishment of the council) shows that the United Nations has started to take a primary role in the Iraq issue and I support this. Thus, we are cheerful and optimistic if this council can to the selection of a government that will truly represent Iraq - the legitimate government. This will lead to the normalisation (of ties) with Iraq and life will go back to normal." 3.38 8. GV: MEDIA 3.41 9. MCU; (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL SAYING: (Question: What's your opinion on the Knesset's decision?) "A bad decision if I can describe it and it comes at an inappropriate time and it confirms what we know -- the Knesset is a bunch of extremists." 4.01 10. GV: EXTERIOR PALACE 4.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVAEWBW9J22CK8OERBJK685NG8QA
  • Story Text: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held talks with
    Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Foreign
    Minister Saud al-Faisal to discuss the Middle East peace
    process, the fight against "terrorism" and the situation in
    Iraq.



    The diplomatic drive for progress on a Mideast peace
    plan widened on Monday (July 21) when Palestinian Prime
    Minister Mahmoud Abbas travelled to Egypt for talks with
    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

    The discussions follow a summit on Sunday (July 20)
    between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Abbas, also
    known as Abu Mazen, which yielded no breakthroughs.

    A temporary cease-fire declared by main Palestinian
    militant groups on June 29 has greatly reduced violence, but
    progress on the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan has been
    thwarted by an Israeli-Palestinian stand-off over conditions
    for moving ahead.

    The Palestinians are pushing for a mass release of
    Palestinians held in Israeli jails, further Israeli
    withdrawals from West Bank towns and other steps. The Israelis
    say they cannot move on those demands until the Palestinians
    begin disarming militant groups responsible for attacks that
    have killed hundreds of Israelis.

    Abbas is scheduled to King Abdullah II in Jordan, most
    likely on Wednesday (July 23). The trip will lead to
    Washington, where Abbas is to meet Bush at the White House on
    Friday (July 25). Sharon is scheduled to meet separately with
    Bush on July 29.

    Mubarak also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud
    al-Faisal.

    After the meeting, he said he supported the establishment
    of a council in Iraq.

    "We think that among the positive aspects of the
    establishment of this Council is that it comes as a result of
    article 9, resolution
    1384. (The establishment of the council) shows that the United
    Nations has started to take a primary role in the Iraq issue
    and I
    support this. Thus, we are cheerful and optimistic if this
    council can to the selection of a government that will truly
    represent Iraq - the legitimate government. This will lead to
    the normalisation (of ties) with Iraq and life will go back to
    normal."
    Iraq's week-old Governing Council failed to pick a leader
    in five hours of talks on Monday that left unclear whether it
    was any nearer to taking back some responsibilities from
    U.S.-led occupying forces.

    There was no official word on the meeting's outcome, but a
    member of one party represented on the U.S.-appointed council
    said members had discussed a draft "political statement".

    The council, seen in Washington as a first step towards a
    democratic government in Iraq following the war to topple
    Saddam
    Hussein, has yet to agree on its own internal structure,
    choose a leader or name ministers to prepare for a handover of
    powers
    from the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority.

    Its 25 members, who include three women, said when they
    first convened on July 13 that one of their first tasks was to
    pick a president.

    Since then the Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, Kurds and
    secular politicians on the council have wrangled over
    proposals for the
    leadership, some of which call for a rotating presidency.

    The council can name and dismiss ministers, approve the
    2004 budget and decide economic and electoral reform policy,
    but
    final control of Iraq still rests with U.S. civilian
    administrator Paul Bremer.

    It is also supposed to work out a new constitution leading
    to an elected, internationally recognised Iraqi government
    able
    to take over from the council and end the military occupation.

    Many Iraqis have yet to be convinced that the council will
    be able to solve the key problems of restoring security and
    basic services that collapsed when Saddam fell in April.


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