Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat arrived in Cairo Monday to brief Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on US President Bill Clinton's proposals to break the logjam in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mussa and Mubarak's political advisor Ossama al-Baz, sat in on the two leaders' session along with two of the Palestinian negotiators who had participated in last week's talks in Washington, Saeb Erakat and Mohamed Dahlane, said a source from Mubarak's office.
Arafat came to Cairo via Amman where he had stopped Monday morning after participating in Christmas festivities in Bethlehem Sunday night.
Mussa said Arafat's visit to Cairo is proof of the "collected efforts and intensive contacts which have helped advance an agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis."
After five days of talks in Washington last week, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators met Saturday with Clinton who presented an outline for a comprehensive peace accord.
Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat must let Clinton know by Wednesday whether they accept the US compromises on east-Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees' right of return, and the future borders of a Palestinian state.
Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, plays the role of regional intermediary between the two sides -- CAIRO (AFP)
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