Olmert: Would be 'right' for Syria to attend Annapolis - Haaretz

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Wed., November 07, 2007 Cheshvan 26, 5768

Israel Time: 01:48 (EST+7)

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Olmert: Would be 'right' for Syria to attend Annapolis

By Barak Ravid

The Annapolis conference will take place in the last week of November, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced yesterday at a press briefing following his meeting with President Shimon Peres.

Olmert added it would be "the right thing" for Syria to take part in the conference. "I hope that if the process with the Palestinians succeeds, it will encourage a similar process with Syria," he said.

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Olmert also said that talks with the Palestinians would begin on the core issues after the Annapolis conference and steps would be taken in accordance with the road map. "Both sides are obligated to take a series of steps," Olmert said, "and we are prepared to fulfill all our obligations to move forward."

Olmert and Peres discussed at length Peres' visit to Turkey next week. Peres is expected to hold a tripartite meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He is also expected to address the Turkish parliament, which would be the first speech by an Israeli president in a Muslim parliament.

'A dire problem'

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni demanded yesterday from her Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, that Cairo act more decisively to stop weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip.

"Gaza is turning into a dire regional problem, and therefore Egypt needs to do more to prevent smuggling into the [Gaza] Strip," Livni said.

Israeli sources described the meeting, at the Euro-Med conference in Lisbon, as "difficult." Aboul Gheit expressed anger at statements by the head of the Shin Bet security service, Yuval Diskin, Internal Security Minister, Avi Dichter. The two have reiterated claims recently that Egypt has done nothing to stop the smuggling of several tons of explosives into Gaza via the Philadelphi Route for Hamas and other terror groups.

Livni told Aboul Gheit that preventing the smuggling is directly related to the success of the diplomatic process and the Annapolis summit.

"If Egypt wants Gaza to become a better place, and to help Abu Mazen and Salam Fayad succeed in their mission, the smuggling must stop," she added.

Aboul Gheit provided Livni again with figures showing that Egypt is acting to prevent the smuggling, and explained that Egypt recently stationed another two patrol boats off the Sinai coast.

However, Aboul Gheit also told Livni that there are now only 750 border guards stationed on the Philadelphi Route, as agreed to in the security appendix to the peace agreement between the two countries. Aboul Gheit believes this number is inadequate.

The Egyptians are also extremely angry the U.S. Congress has frozen $200 million in military aid to the Egyptian Army due to the continued smuggling.

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