Peace conference invitee list revealed
Date: 04 / 10 / 2007 Time: 17:18
www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=25689

Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Information Minister Riyad Al-Maliki
revealed a long list of invitees to the US-sponored international peace
summit scheduled for November.

According to Al-Maliki, US President George W. Bush plans to invite the
members of the international Quartet, the G-8, all permanent members of the
UN Security Council, the Arab Follow-Up Committee, and three additional
predominantly Muslim countries.

The Quartet is composed of the US, European Union Russia, and the United
Nations. The addition of the G8 countries means that Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom will be invited. As a member
of the Security Council, China will also be invited.

The Arab League Follow-Up Committee, established to pursue implementation of
the Arab Peace Initiative, includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Palestine,
Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen and Arab
League Secretary General Amr Moussa.

Finally, Turkey, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been added to the guest list.

Al-Maliki said President Abbas and other countries would ask the conference
sponsors to invite India, South Africa, Brazil, Greece, and Spain.

The minister told a press conference in Ramallah Thursday that the
negotiations will be based on a joint declaration which Abbas and Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are expected to develop over the coming weeks in
bilateral talks. The declaration, according to Al-Maliki, will tackle the
final-status issues such as the borders of a future Palestinian state, the
status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Al-Maliki said the declaration will be submitted to the Palestinian people
for approval in a referendum.

President Abbas expects the negotiations to last no more than six months,
because previous negotiations have already completed a considerable part of
the work.

Al-Maliki said the declaration will be submitted to the Palestinian people
for approval in a referendum.