US envoy William Burns met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Saturday at the start of a two-week Middle East tour aimed at reactivating the peace process.
Following this meeting, Burns said Bush administration's determination to deal with Saddam Hussein has not distracted it from trying to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"The United States is absolutely committed to doing everything that we can on the Palestinian issue and on the broader Arab-Israeli issue," Burns said when asked if Washington had recently neglected Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
Burns said he had told Mubarak that Washington still relied on the "critical role" which Cairo could play in solving the conflict. He stated he had told Mubarak that Washington wanted to deal with Iraq via the United Nations.
Also Saturday, Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said a Palestinian delegation would meet with Burns in Jericho on Thursday.
The Palestinian representatives meeting with Burns would "take a positive approach to all ideas and plans introduced by the U.S., as long as these ideas and roadmaps are based on the implementation of the UN security council resolutions," Abed Rabbo told reporters at a briefing.
"We will test the American intentions, we hope that these intentions and ideas are serious and not just lip service to some Arab and European countries," Abed Rabbo said. The U.S. State Department has said Burns is not due to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.
Meanwhile, dozens of settlers prevented residents of West Bank villages near Nablus from picking olives Saturday, firing in the air and demanding that the Palestinians leave the area. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
