As agreed upon in the Cairo summit, a meeting was held in Washington at
the level of foreign ministers. It was hosted by Secretary of State
Christopher, and was addressed by President Clinton. His presence as well
as that of Vice President Gore was to underline the great importance the
United States attached to the continuation of the peace process. The
discussion focussed on the political, economic and human aspects of peace
in the Middle East. Some progress was achieved in talks between Foreign
Minister Peres and Nabil Sha'ath. All parties pledged their commitments to
the peace process. Text:
On February 12, 1995, the United States hosted a follow-up meeting in
Washington of the February 2, 1995 Cairo Summit of representatives from
Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. President Clinton,
accompanied by Vice-President Gore, addressed the gathering which was
attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Egyptian Foreign
Minister Amr Moussa, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abd al-Karim Kabariti,
Palestinian Authority Minister of Planning and International Cooperation
Nabil Sha'ath, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, and Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Victor Posuvalyuk who participated as an observer. The
five participants acknowledged the leadership of Egypt's President Hosni
Mubarak in hosting the Cairo Summit. Building on that historic meeting,
the five participants reaffirmed their determination to consolidate the
breakthroughs achieved in the Arab-Israeli peace process, to overcome
obstacles and disputes, and to push forward toward a just, lasting and
comprehensive peace in the region based on United Nations Security Council
Resolutions 242 and 338, thus leading to a lasting reconciliation among
the peoples of the Middle East cemented by bonds of mutual respect and
dignity, tolerance, cooperation, security and peaceful relations.
Toward this end, the five parties represented in Washington have joined
together to act to further cooperation in support of peace. Because peace
requires concerted action, the parties agreed to explore practical steps
in the political, economic, security and human dimension areas of
education and culture. They also agreed to meet as necessary to consult
and to coordinate action in these areas. Experts will follow up in each of
these areas as appropriate.
In the political area, the parties reaffirmed their strong commitment to
honoring those agreements already concluded, in letter and spirit, and to
accelerate negotiations on all tracks. The Secretary of State reported on
the conclusions reached between the Israeli and Palestinian delegations
today. Those conclusions are attached and constitute an integral part of
this communique. The participants in today's meeting welcomed the results
achieved by Israel and the Palestinian Authority and pledged to do all
they could to support the conclusion of the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process. The parties also expressed appreciation for the continuation of
the implementation of the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty in all its
aspects. They further expressed the hope that a peace agreement between
Israel and both Syria and Lebanon could be reached soon, leading to
comprehensive peace.
With respect to security, the parties agreed that there can be no real
peace in the region without security and stability. The parties declared
that they are committed to combat all acts that aim to destroy the peace
process, particularly acts of terrorism and violence, and to stand
staunchly against and put an end to all such acts. The parties reaffirmed
the intention expressed at the Cairo Summit that within the framework of
peace and reconciliation in the region, with enhanced security, economic
prosperity and a higher standard of living for their people, they intend
to achieve equal security and mutual confidence at lower levels of
armaments, appreciating President Mubarak's disarmament proposal on
weapons of mass destruction. The parties shall pursue a mutually
verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear,
chemical and biological, and their delivery systems.
In the economic area, they reaffirmed the importance of fostering economic
development and investment in the region. The parties agreed to support
assistance to Palestinians and the development and strengthening of the
creation of industrial zones in the West Bank and Gaza. The parties are
committed to explore the removal of barriers to trade. They will also
explore ways to promote liberalized trade between the parties and the
United States. In this regard, the parties expressed appreciation to the
United States for its proposal to extend duty free treatment to products
from industrial zones to be created in the West Bank and Gaza and free
trade zones that may be established in Taba, Eilat and Aqaba. The United
States will consult further with the parties and the U.S. Congress on this
matter. At the same time, the parties took note of progress and agreed to
continue their efforts towards the establishment of a Middle East
Development Bank. Such an institution would serve to fund development
projects and the promotion of private sector investment.
To underscore the public-private partnership as embodied in the Casablanca
Declaration, the four parties agreed to the promotion of private sector
projects. The parties will work together with the private sector for the
success of the Amman Economic Summit in October.
In the human dimension, the parties also agreed on the need to build
bridges between peoples, to overcome barriers to understanding and to
share knowledge and expertise to deal with common problems. The parties
also agreed to explore the possibilities of new and more creative forms of
cooperation in these areas.
Finally, the parties pledged to work to ensure that there can be no
turning back in the Arab- Israeli peace process. They agreed to do all in
their power to work toward the achievement of a comprehensive peace and to
create a Middle East with peace, security and economic prosperity for all
the people of the region. In this regard, they pledged their continued
support for the efforts and contributions of the multilateral track of the
peace process.
In light of our commitment to pursue a comprehensive peace, the United
States will be consulting with its Russian co-sponsor, the European Union
as well as with Norway, Japan and other regional participants in the peace
process on ways to promote progress and reach our common goals.