Date :7 Feb 2010
Following a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart on Saturday, President Mahmoud Abbas asserted that reconciliation will not be attained without Egypt playing a major role and that no other mediator will be called on, and discussed proximity talks put forward by US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell.

After meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas said efforts to reconcile rival Palestinian factions began in Cairo, where leaders signed the Egyptian-sponsored document. Therefore, he said, the final signing ceremony will take place in Egypt, who will also follow up on the agreement's implementation. "This is the Palestinian Authority and Fatah's stance," Abbas said.

Proximity talks

Abbas further spoke of his meeting with a US delegation on Friday, with whom he discussed Mitchell's ongoing role as a shuttle between Israel and Palestinian sides. The suggestion of proximity talks, he said, had been conferred over recently. "A meeting was held between Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian officials to discuss the issue, and we await the US response to a number of questions.

"When we receive the answers, we will discuss them with Arab countries, and announce our stance," Abbas said.  When asked whether Palestinian reconciliation or peace talks would be first, Abbas said "everything is moving in the same direction together. We are dealing with building state institutions and economy, reconciliation, and US suggestions to restart negotiations with Israel.  

"Nothing is given priority over others, and resumption of peace talks is not dependent on reconciliation." Meanwhile Secretary-General of the Office of the President At-Tayyib Abdul Rahim said Palestinian delegates would begin talks next Friday on Mitchell's suggestions to restart the peace process at an Egyptian-Palestinian summit in Cairo, participants confirmed Thursday. The Palestinian leadership in Ramallah will participate in a series of consultations with delegates from the Arab world and representatives from the office of the Quartert, Abdul Rahim said. Source: ma'an