CAIRO: An Arab mini-summit comprised of the Egyptian, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders will be held today in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh ahead of the long- awaited US-sponsored Middle East peace conference, finally scheduled to be held in Annapolis Nov. 27.
President Hosni Mubarak will host Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II in the same resort town where he met with Quartet envoy Tony Blair on Wednesday as they discussed “ways of reviving the peace process ahead of the international conference, according to the Mena news agency.
Mubarak will meet with each leader separately before a fully fledged meeting, according to AFP.
Concurrently, the Arab League will host Arab foreign leaders in Cairo to discuss the summit and whether countries such as Saudi Arabia and Syria will participate.
On Tuesday, Washington finally issued invitations for the Annapolis peace conference, the reason for the flurry of diplomatic activity in the past few months, which had up until then not been scheduled. The players hope that the conference will lead to a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement within a year.
That same day Mubarak was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who told journalists at a joint press conference after the meeting that he hoped “to reach a definitive deal with the Palestinians in 2008. The negotiations will not be simple. There will be differences, crises and arguments. But if we act with caution, there is a chance that we can reach a deal.
Indeed, a meeting between Olmert and Abbas earlier this week did not produce any tangible results as chances of an agreement between the two principals remain stalled with the conference less than a week away. This is what has prompted the flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days as all sides try to broker an agreement before the conference begins.
“A big part of the conference’s success stems from the fact that it’s actually taking place, international relations expert from Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Emad Gad told Daily News Egypt.
“Additionally, Annapolis is perceived as the spark for future negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, therefore, its success will eventually be judged by the progress made in later talks, he added.
“Another aspect of its success will depend on the level of Arab participation, Gad continued, “and whether it will be at an ambassadorial level or ministerial one. If it is the ambassadors then the conference will have failed but if it involves the Arab foreign ministers then it will be a success.
“Now is the right time for a comprehensive peace, Mubarak said, claiming that positive steps in this regard could “also open up the possibility, of facilitating other aspects of the peace process.
In the invitations to the principals, US President George Bush is reported to have said “This conference will signal broad international support for your courageous efforts and will be a launching point for negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realisation of Israeli-Palestinian peace, in accordance with the roadmap.
A foreign ministry statement declared that Egypt will accept the invitation to Annapolis, stating “The foreign minister will respond affirmatively to the American invitation in the context of Egypt’s continuing desire to give any possible assistance to the Palestinian cause.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit will head to Washington next week to attend the conference, the ministry said.
