The conditions for holding a four-way summit proposed by Egypt to try to end the Israeli-Palestinian violence have not yet been met, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa cautioned on Friday.
"The necessary and required atmosphere to hold a four-way summit grouping (Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat and (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Barak does not yet appear to be in place," Moussa told the official news agency MENA.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak had proposed hosting the summit and including US President Bill Clinton on condition that Israel halt its military operations in the Palestinian territories.
But the foreign minister pointed out that Israel had imposed a "maritime siege" on Gaza and that all-Palestinian self-rule town and areas were still encircled by the Israeli military.
"This summit will only be held on the condition of a total lifting of the siege, a halt to military operations, withdrawal of all arms, tanks, boats, soldiers and forces encircling the Palestinian people from all sides," he said.
"Such a summit can only succeed if the conditions for holding it are accepted and respected." - CAIRO (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
