Concluding Statement of the Cairo Summit

The Beit Lid attack virtually froze the peace process. This created alarm among various parties to the process, mainly Egypt and the United States. At the initiative of President Hosni Mubarak, a summit conference was held in Cairo with the participation of the prime minister of Israel, the king of Jordan, Egypt's president and the PLO chairman. The summit was also called to demonstrate the commitment of the four leaders to peace and to signal to Islamic fundamentalist enemies of peace, that the leaders are determined to forge ahead. At the conclusion of the summit the following final communique was issued:

1. The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, meeting in Cairo on February 2, 1995, reaffirmed their determination to continue the Middle East peace process towards the fulfillment of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.

2. The parties are committed to fully honor and implement, in letter and spirit, the historic accords reached between them. They reaffirmed their commitment to implement all the outstanding parts of those agreements and their intention to pursue their efforts towards a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The parties also reaffirmed the necessity of moving promptly to conclude the negotiations on the Interim Agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in all its aspects. The parties emphasized the urgency of taking the necessary measures to enhance the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and to improve the climate and build confidence between the parties.

3. The parties expressed their appreciation for the swift implementation of the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. They expressed the hope that the near future would witness the achievement of peace accords between Israel and Syria and Lebanon.

4. The leaders reiterated their appreciation for Egypt's leading role for peace in the Middle East which is essential for the success of the peace process.

5. The peace process in the Middle East is an historic necessity serving the interest of all its peoples and individuals. Therefore it will prevail against all the forces that attempt to undermine it. The four parties condemned all the outbreaks of bloodshed, terror and violence in the region, and reaffirmed their intention to stand staunchly against and put an end to all such acts.

6. Within the framework of peace and reconciliation in the region, with enhanced security, economic prosperity and a higher standard of living for their peoples, the leaders reaffirmed their intention 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.

• Enhance economic cooperation and encourage joint projects, and attract the international private sector, particularly in preparation for the Amman summit (October 30, 1995). As part of this process, the parties are committed to support the establishment of a regional development bank.

• Give special attention to strengthening the educational capabilities of the region, with special emphasis on science, technology and computerization. In this regard, the parties will seriously consider and explore, with the European Union, the convening of a special education conference devoted to this aim.

In pursuit of the implementation of this declaration, the representatives of the four parties, at Foreign Ministers level, will conduct consultations to facilitate their cooperation. The first meeting at this level will take place next week in Washington.

Following the Cairo Meeting, Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin have agreed to meet next Thursday in Erez to continue negotiations on the bilateral issues.

President Mubarak, King Hussein, Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat, will meet again if necessary to pursue their joint efforts aimed at reinforcing the process of comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Issued in Cairo, on February 2nd, 1995.