PA official: Sharon-Abu Mazen meeting set for Friday

In what would be the first direct, public talks between top leaders of Israel and the Palestinians in the last two and a half years, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) will meet for the first time on Friday, May 16, a Palestinian official has said.

A senior diplomat Monday confirmed the date of the meeting, which follows talks held by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell with Israelis and Palestinians to promote the "road map" peace plan to bring an end to the conflict and create a Palestinian state. Neither source mentioned a venue.

Speaking at a news conference in Jordan, Powell said Tuesday that the administration would listen to Israeli reservations over the road map, but would not "re-negotiate" the plan.

Ra'anan Gissin, a spokesman for Sharon, said the meeting of the prime ministers would take place at the end of the week but that he could not confirm the date.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Monday evening that the meeting between the two prime ministers would mark the renewal of multi-level contacts between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as the resumption of joint security cooperation, Army Radio reported.

Satterfield: EU to check if Israel, PA implementing road mapU.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield told Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during their meeting Monday that the U.S. has asked the EU to stand at the head of the mechanism that will verify that Israel and the Palestinians are implementing the security aspects of the road map, Israel Radio reported.

The EU will be responsible for other sensitive issues, Satterfield said, such as the removal of illegal settlement outposts and a freeze on settlement expansion.

The assistant secretary of state also said that Abu Mazen is committed to disarming the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups, but that he would use means of persuasion to do so.

Powell visits Egypt; FM Maher: We still view Arafat as leaderEgypt offered Monday to help the United States on peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians, but declined to go along with Washington's attempt to sidestep Yasser Arafat.

Arafat is the leader of the Palestinian people, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said at a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. "We continue to recognize him as the leader of the Palestinian people," Maher said.

U.S. President George W. Bush has ruled out dealing with Arafat, branding him as a failed leader entwined with terror attacks on Israel. Arafat was not at the table when Powell met on Sunday on the West Bank with Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to win his acceptance of implementing a blueprint for peacemaking.

But Egypt, one of America's closest friends in the region, "will continue to deal with him," Maher said in a ringing endorsement of Arafat, who remains head of the Palestinian Authority.

Powell did not respond, having said already on his trip that governments have the right to make their own decisions, but that he hoped the Arabs and Europeans would come to the U.S. viewpoint.

On peacemaking itself, Powell said Egypt pledged to help in improving Palestinian security arrangements and in other ways, as well.

Tighter security is being demanded by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and also by Bush, as a precondition for moving ahead on the blueprint or roadmap that envisions establishing a Palestinian state in 2005.

Still, Maher criticized Sharon for not declaring his acceptance of the plan in Jerusalem on Sunday. "The word accept is not a dirty word," he said.

Powell said, "The Israelis did not use the word 'accept' and acknowledged that Sharon had not formally embraced the "road map," as Abbas did in Jericho. But he said Israel's release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners and its easing of restrictions on Palestinian workers meant Israel had begun to implement the blueprint.

Powell suggested that Sharon take up his questions about peacemaking directly with Abbas. They are expected to meet before Sharon goes to Washington to see Bush on May 20.

Powell would like Egypt to encourage development of reform within the Palestinian Authority and oppose armed groups trying to disrupt the peace process, a senior State Department official said.

After his meetings with President Hosni Mubarak and other Egyptian officials, Powell was taking the same message to Jordan later Monday and to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Here in Cairo, Powell met separately with Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian intelligence director who helped guide the Palestinians in improving their security arrangements.

On a positive front, Powell said he had received from the Palestinians on Sunday the first draft of a proposed constitution. That is a step toward establishing the democracy that Bush is asking for the Palestinian Authority.

Powell's tour of three Arab capitals is designed to set the stage for productive talks between Sharon and Abbas and for Sharon's meeting with Bush.

	Secretary of State Colin Powell and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shaking hands in Cairo on Monday. (AP)