Foreign Ministry Statement on Multilateral Talks Steering Committee meeting in Cairo

Meanwhile, the peace process was on track and frameworks agreed upon in the Madrid Conference were meeting on a regular basis to deal with various issues. One such meeting was held in Cairo on 22-23 January 1995. Israel was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Beilin. In the following statement, details of the meetings were provided as well as a future timetable. Text:

Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Yossi Beilin participated in the meeting of the Multilateral Talks Steering Committee held in Cairo on 22 - 23.01.95, along with representatives from the United States, Russia, the European Union, Canada, Japan, Tunisia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. The participants discussed the wording of a draft document which sets the guidelines for the multilateral meetings. The document includes both political principles and professional procedures. Among the principles which were proposed for adoption were: a commitment to honor UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the letters of invitation to the Madrid Conference and the UN Charter, the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence [of each country]; recognition of the function of economic market forces; and the need to dismantle obstacles to mutual economic advancement, such as the boycott. The participants also discussed the efficiency and rationality of working through different committees, in order to prevent duplication, and merging the working meetings. The next meeting will be held in Switzerland on 28-30.03.95. It was proposed that the possibility of establishing an additional working group on the issue of human rights be discussed.