Press Release on the Trilateral Meeting
Of the Foreign Ministers of the Arab Republic of Egypt,
October 27^th, ‏1999

Within the framework of continuous coordination and consultation to discuss Arab and international issues including the latest developments in the peace process and in continuation of the meeting held in Amman on March 20^th, 1999, a trilateral meeting was held at the invitation of PNA Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Nabil Sha'ath. This trilateral meeting included the Egyptian Foreign Minister Mr. Amr Mousa, the Jordanian Foreign Minister Mr. Abdillah Al-Khatib and the Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Nabil Sha'ath. The discussion included such topics as what has been currently implemented of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, ways of setting in motion the final status negotiations and the issue of the return of displaced Palestinians to their homeland.

The parties to the meeting asserted the necessity of reaching a comprehensive, just and permanent peace in the region in accordance to international legal resolutions including UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425. They also reaffirmed the principle of "Land for Peace" approved in the Madrid conference and the realization of all legitimate national rights, the most prominent of which being the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own fate and the right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

During the meeting, the participants called upon the sponsors of the peace-process and the international community to interfere so as to ensure the return of refugees in accordance to UN resolution No. 194.

According to the participants, the signing of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement and its implementation constitutes a positive step towards a comprehensive and just peace. However, the expansionist policy adopted by Israel, the attempt to expand settlements in the PNA territories with the goal of devouring more land, the pursuit of measures to Judaize Jerusalem and the siege of Bethlehem constitute dangerous obstacles on the way to achieve the much-desired peace. They also asserted their absolute rejection of all these policies that hinder the peace process, eventually leading it to a dead-end. Moreover, they confirmed their position, consisting in not acknowledging the results of any such policies, and emphasized that peace will not be achieved unless all settlements are removed from PNA territories.

The conferees called for the necessity of resuming negotiation in both the Syrian and Lebanese tracks with the goal of realizing a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The participants also agreed that the summit meeting to be convened on November 2^nd, 1999 and to be attended by President William Clinton, President Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister in Norway is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of Israel to all agreements signed with the PLO. This includes the finalization of all the issues pertaining to the interim phase and the start of final status negotiations concerning Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, borders, water and security, on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.

The participants affirmed the importance of expediting the holding of the quadripartite committee for the displaced, at the ministerial level, in order to discuss t possible mechanisms for the return of displaced Palestinians.

Both the Egyptian and Jordanian ministers stressed the support of President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah II to President Yasser Arafat and to the Palestinian leadership in the final status negotiations, and to Palestinian diplomatic efforts in the international arena. They also commended the tangible advance made in preparing the institutions and the vital infrastructure for the establishment of the Palestinian state, at the time and date chosen by the Palestinian leadership.

On his part, Minister Nabil Sha'ath lauded the role played by both Egypt and Jordan in support of the peace process and to enable the Palestinian people to achieve all their legitimate rights and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The three parties also asserted the necessity of coordinating their positions at the bilateral and trilateral levels concerning final status negotiations, especially since some of the issues are related to the vital interests of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt and other Arab countries.