Egyptian Chief of Intelligence Omar Suleiman met with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Mecca on Tuesday to brief him on the first round of direct talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The talks began in Washington last week.
Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley said that George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, and his deputy, David Hale, will hold preparatory meetings to pave the way for the second round of talks, slated for 14 September in Sharm El Sheikh.
Crowley added that the third round will take place in Jerusalem, with the participation of the United States, to be followed by further meetings every two weeks involving only Israel and Palestine.
Crowley reiterated Washington’s intention to continue working on this issue despite attempts by Hamas to obstruct the talks, and that it was satisfied with the first round. He also praised Egypt for its efforts to mediate between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
