Nabil Shaath, the Palestinian minister for international cooperation told Friday US Secretary of State Colin Powell that the Palestinians want to conclude a final peace settlement with Israel in two years.
Shaath said the Palestinians believed that the two-year period for an agreement should be part of a new US vision for Middle East peace to be announced in the coming days by President George W. Bush. "We feel that without a timeline there can be really no real progress," Shaath told reporters outside the State Department after his meeting with Powell.
"Without a timeline, procrastination can come in, things in the world might create all sorts of reversal in the way of progress and therefore we feel that a timeline is very important," he said.
"We feel that a timeline of a year for negotiations and a year for implementation is a very reasonable timeline," Shaath said, adding that Powell had listened closely to the idea but had not indicated whether it would be part of Bush's plan.
"It's important that we had our word listened to and I hope that it will have a real impact," he said, noting that he had carried with him a message from Arafat and the Palestinian leadership.
"I made clear our wish that the statement that would come would be seen by our people as well as by the Israelis as fair ... and has the backing of the United States for its implementation within a short time period."
Powell, who met earlier Friday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, did not speak publicly on Friday and US officials remained coy on when and what Bush would say. Prince Saud's comments rivaled those of US officials in their inexplicitness.
"The president and his government have had discussions with everybody concerned with the Middle East and they are formulating their views and, in the meantime, I think we should be quiet and wait for them to talk," al-Faisal said after meeting Powell. "The talk that you want to hear is not me talking, but what the message and the statement of the president is going to be. And I, like you, am waiting for that, " the Saudi minister said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
