STAKEOUT WITH AMBASSADORS RUBINSTEIN AND TARAWNEH - 18-Aug-94

AUGUST 18, 1994

Ambassador Tarawneh: I want to say that we are not ending a round, because this is not a round. We are just breaking ... the negotiations are to be continued. This is also just a break to regroup ourselves, to prepare more. We are coming back for all these subcommisssions and the committees.

The first committee to continue its work is the border subcommision, or the subcommision on boundaries and territorial matters, and they will convene very soon, on the 23rd [of August]. And also we are going to convene all the subcommisions and committees on the 28th of this month. That is the sense of continuity, the sense of seriousness, commitment to go along and to go ahead with all the details that we have.

We have, from my point, and my delegation's point, I would say that the five, or six, working days, since we started last Tuesday, were very fruitful in terms of the volume of work the first time maybe we went into details in identifying the different positions on all the items that we have on the common agenda, the sub-agendas, and also on the Washington Declaration. So I think that progress has been made in terms of tackling and embarking on all the details of the items that we have.

I just want to again repeat myself, as I always do daily, that you can appreciate the volume of work ahead of us, the numerous amount of details that need to be clarified, because I think we are both of the same conviction that we do not want to leave anything unclear. We just want to verify all points. And who can decide this is an important point and this is a marginal point. I think all points are important and should be clarified and put aside once and for all. Thank you.

Ambassador Rubinstein: Thank you very much. I am sure you will not be surprised that I will associate myself basically with every word that my colleague and friend Ambassdor Tarawneh just said.

We concluded these meetings today with the happiness to be able to host, for the first time, our Jordanian colleagues in Israel, after having been hosted by them sometime ago on the other side of the Dead Sea in the trilateral ministerial meeting. We have also worked here not only in the spirit of our negotiation which have always been good, but under the inspiration of the Washington Declaration, the summit meetings between the leaders of our two countries and everything that evolved from that.

Just knowing the volume of the subjects we have tackled from security, boundaries, water to all the other issues economy, energy, environment, police and anti-drug cooperation and all other important issues transportation. And what we have in front of us, knowing the volume of these, justifies what my colleague Ambassador Tarawneh said, that we have to remember the need to reach agreements on all of them, and we will do it as soon as possible. The timetable that we have just agreed upon negotiations continuously in the next two months. A test to the seriousness of this: Ambassador Tarawneh mentioned the meetings next week on the boundary issues here in Israel. We will have soon meetings rotating between Jordan and Israel: in August, in September, in October. All are designed to achieve results as soon as possible in our bilateral and trilateral negotiations, and our delegation, our government look forward to it.

Let me just conclude by wishing our Jordanian colleagues, those who celebrate the 'Holiday of the Birthday of the Prophet' [name also given in Arabic] very warm wishes, and thank you very much.

Questions to Ambassador Tarawneh [Arabic].

Q: Mr. Rubinstein, yesterday, you were talking to us about deals. What do you mean by the deals?

Ambassador Rubinstein: The question is not a question of a deal; the question is a question of agreement. And both sides will hopefully 'inchallah' reach agreements per their common agenda, per their commitment on every subject including the subject, of course, of water, including, of course, the subject of boundaries, and the main thing should be and will be, an agreement which will be just and satisfying for everybody.

Question to Ambassador Rubinstein [Hebrew].