President Hosni Mubarak met with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss indirect peace talks between the PA and Israel with the ostensible aim of arriving at a two-state solution to the perennial dispute.
The two men also discussed how US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell–who has just returned to the region–might resume mediation efforts in light of recent resolutions by the Arab League’s follow-up committee.
The Abbas-Mubarak talks come within the context of recent moves by Egypt, the Arab world and the US to revive the stagnant peace process. Peace negotiations broke down following Israel’s three-week-long assault on the besieged Gaza Strip in late 2008/early 2009.
Over the last two weeks, Mubarak has met with Arab leaders and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with the stated aim of creating a “suitable atmosphere” for indirect peace talks.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
