U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Daily Press Briefing
Wednesday, June 14, 2000
Briefer: Richard Boucher, Spokesman

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QUESTION: What exciting gems do you have for us today on the Israeli- Palestinian talks?

MR. BOUCHER: That's a pretty high standard. Negotiations began yesterday at Andrews Air Force Base and Bolling Air
Force Base. Special Middle East Coordinator Dennis Ross and his team will be meeting today with the negotiators at each
site separately and together. Now that the Secretary is back, she may have the opportunity to meet with the negotiators, but nothing is scheduled at this point. And we look forward to the visit by Chairman Arafat to Washington. He arrives, I think, this evening. They'll be meeting at the White House tomorrow with the President and also having lunch with the Secretary tomorrow.

QUESTION: Are you saying meeting the Secretary is possible today?

MR. BOUCHER: No, I think he arrives late tonight.

QUESTION: No, I mean with the Secretary meeting the negotiators.

MR. BOUCHER: No, nothing is scheduled between her and the negotiators. It's just possible that they might meet.
QUESTION: And the lunch is where?

MR. BOUCHER: I'll check on that and see if I can make that available.

QUESTION: And can you tell us whether they made any progress yesterday?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I'd want to get into the content of the discussions.

QUESTION: Well, maybe you can get into the logistics. Are the talks suspended or on a break? Or you pick your own
word, because we have strong reason to believe that the Palestinians aren't happy on the prisoner issue and have called a respite. I don't know how old your guidance is, but I don't know that they're in motion right now and I don't know Dennis is going to see them today.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think we've seen some reports that just came out. I think what I would say to that is that, as I
said, we're having discussions with the parties and the negotiators. They're having some meetings together; we're having some discussions separately. There's a whole variety of issues being discussed, including permanent status issues as well as interim issues, and we're continuing to work that process.

QUESTION: Have they met today in any shape or form?

MR. BOUCHER: I guess I'm not sure I can say yes to you. I will double check that one very quickly. I'm just not sure
of the exact timing.

QUESTION: If they're going to meet today, you'd have to find a word out there in the ether to describe the atmospherics,
as Matt would put it, and might suggest it's less than warm.

MR. BOUCHER: Well, not as good as the Korean summit.