US - Egypt

Mideast conflict at the centre of talks

Article published on the 2009-08-18 Latest update 2009-08-18 17:37 TU

US President Barack Obama meets with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the White House
(Photo: Reuters)

US President Barack Obama said Israel is "moving in the right direction" after meeting Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak at the White House on Tuesday in an effort to revive the flagging Middle East peace talks. Obama has not been able to make headway with the right-leaning Israeli government on freezing Jewish settlement building, and is reaching out to neighbouring state Egypt for diplomatic help.

"I think obviously each country in the region on either side of this issue has certain responsibilities to uphold as we make progress toward lasting peace in the Middle East," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs indicated, however, that diplomatic relations between Egypt and the US "will take some time", in order to thaw the tense relationship that developed between the two countries under George W Bush's tenure.

"And without a recognition of those responsibilities it's going to be hard to move forward," Gibbs told reporters.

Meanwhile, Mubarak told a US television network in comments aired late Monday that interim deals between Israel and Palestine are over and that a final peace should be negotiated.

Mubarak said that he believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was ready to negotiate such a deal.

"There is some sort of agreement between Netanyahu - and [Defence Minister Ehud] Barak also agreed - that we come to the final solution and implementation in stages," said Mubarak.

The Egyptian leader met with Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday and indicated that it is up to Israel to break the talks deadlock.

In terms of Jewish settlement building within Palestinian borders, Netanyahu, Barak and Israeli Housing Minister Ariel Atias, agreed not to issue any new building tenders for West Bank construction until early 2010.

Palestinians claim this move is insignificant, as construction continues in other settlements in Palestine.