Qurei’: Washington to Enhance its ‘Mediation Role'

PM Qurei’: Washington to Enhance its ‘Mediation Role’

EGYPT, -- Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmad Qurei’, said Wednesday that United States Undersecretary of State, William Burns, informed him that Washington is determined to enhance its role as a mediator between the Palestinians and Israelis to find a way out of current impasse.

Minister Qurei’ was quoted as saying “the Americans want both Palestinians and Israelis to abide by all commitments but they also asserted their willingness to act as a broker and at present they are looking for a mean to inject momentum to break away from the standing predicament.”

In his interview with Al-Ayam Palestinain Newspaper yesterday, Qurai denied oft-reported news that he asked for an ‘Egyptian mediation’ that dubbed by an Arab Gulf newspaper as” a disagreement with President Arafat”.

“Such news is definitely untrue and baseless. My tie with President Yasser Arafat is marvelous, I greatly esteem him, no disagreements with him, and I have no need for mediation at all with president Arafat,” PM Qurei’ denied any quarrels with Arafat.

Qurei was visiting Cairo over the past couple of days, in which he met with William Burns and a number of Egyptian officials including Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmad Maher and Amro Mossa, secretary general of Arab league of states.

Qurei’s described his meeting with the Egyptian officials as very positive which discussed ways to contain current Middle East peace process deadlock and the Israeli escalation against the Palestinian people particularly in Gaza. The meeting coincided with US Secretary of State, Colin Powel’s shuttle visit to Egypt before heading to Sudan.

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