PA official optimistic about pullout deal
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister al-Kidwa does not believe Sharon-Abbas meeting will reach final settlement, but he believes there is chance for coordination on disengagement and completion of Sharm el-Sheikh understandings
PA Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa was pessimistic on Tuesday about the chances that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas would have a diplomatic breakthrough.
However, al-Kidwa said that there is a good chance of progress on the topic of disengagement and the completion of the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings.
Al-Kidwa said that the Palestinian aim was to reach at the summit a clear understanding regarding the evacuation from the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank and to begin completion of the Sharm el-Sheikh understandings.
Heading the list is an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas conquered since the outbreak of the Aqsa Intifada.
The PA minister said this all Tuesday night as American envoys and the chief of Egyptian intelligence head to the region in order to restart Israeli-Palestinian coordination.
Al-Kidwa cites Road Map
However, al-Kidwa said that the PA does not promise that it will disarm Palestinian terrorist organizations so long as "the occupation" continues.
"My position is based on international law and a deep understanding of our responsibilities according to the Road Map, and I will not retract my words," he said.
The PA minister criticized Israeli policies in the territories, including the building of the security fence in the West Bank, which would cut off PA access top Jerusalem.
The arrival of the American envoys in the region has sparked optimism among Palestinians, particularly given the results achieved by Abbas in Washington.
