Trilateral Palestinian peace talks at Arab Summit

CAIRO – 29 March 2017: A trilateral meeting was held Wednesday between Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Jordan.

The three leaders discussed the importance of reviving the peace process “to reach a comprehensive and final solution to the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution,” according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidential Office. The trio’s meeting also highlighted the Arab Peace initiative, which will provide safety and security for all Palestinians.

The statement also noted regional and international efforts to support the Palestinian Authority and resume negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

During his speech at the summit, Sisi said, “the Palestinian issue is in our hearts and in the minds of every Arab national,” adding that Egypt will always seek to achieve a comprehensive and fair solution by contacting all international parties to resume peace negotiations.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Sisi held bilateral talks with a number of Arab leaders, including Saudi King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz. Local media reports said both leaders exchanged invitations, suggesting the meeting was to mend the unprecedented rift between the countries.

There has been a growing divide between Egypt and Saudi Arabia since the end of last year, when Saudi Arabia halted shipments of fuel to Egypt. The Saudi move came in reaction to Egypt’s vote in favor of separate Russian and French draft resolutions on Syria in the U.N. Security Council.