President Hosni Mubarak received Sunday 21/11/2010 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), which ended his two-day visit to Egypt.
Mubarak and Abu Mazen reviewed the Egyptian, Arab and international efforts for resuming direct negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, the US offer, ideas to convince Israel to extend settlement building moratorium, Egyptian efforts to achieve Palestinian reconciliation and to ease the sufferings of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories.
Addressing a press conference following the meeting, the Palestinian President rejected direct negotiations with the Israelis if they did not virtually halt all settlement activities including East Jerusalem. He said he rejects the deal the US intends to strike with Israel to convince it to tentatively freeze settlement for a period of 90 days.
Abu Mazen said he asserted to the US side that the Palestinians have nothing to do with the expected deal, adding they called for laying emphasis on the issues of borders and security in case direct negotiations are resumed.
He said the Palestinian side did not receive any official suggestions from the US administration on direct negotiations to comment on adding the Palestinian leadership has many options to confront the Israeli intransigence, calling for halting settlement 100 per cent in all Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian President said the Palestinian side is still waiting for official US reply which is expected soon to discuss it at the Palestinian level firstly. He said later we shall proceed to the Arab follow up committee.
Abbas said he discussed with President Mubarak two main issues namely; the possibilities of resuming direct negotiations, and the developments of the inter-Palestinian dialogue.
On the other hand, President Hosni Mubarak had a phone call Sunday 21/11/2010 with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia to inquire after his health and wished the Saudi monarch good health and speedy recovery.