Peace Conference Invitee List Revealed

4 October 2007

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Palestinian Information Minister Riyad Al-Maliki revealed a long list of invitees to the US-sponored international peace summit scheduled for November.

According to Al-Maliki, US President George W. Bush plans to invite the members of the international Quartet, the G-8, all permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Arab Follow-Up Committee, and three additional predominantly Muslim countries.

The Quartet is composed of the US, European Union Russia, and the United Nations. The addition of the G8 countries means that Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom will be invited. As a member of the Security Council, China will also be invited.

The Arab League Follow-Up Committee, established to pursue implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative, includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Algeria, Bahrain, Yemen and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.

Finally, Turkey, Indonesia, and Malaysia have been added to the guest list.

Al-Maliki said President Abbas and other countries would ask the conference sponsors to invite India, South Africa, Brazil, Greece, and Spain.

The minister told a press conference in Ramallah Thursday that the negotiations will be based on a joint declaration which Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are expected to develop over the coming weeks in bilateral talks. The declaration, according to Al-Maliki, will tackle the final-status issues such as the borders of a future Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

Al-Maliki said the declaration will be submitted to the Palestinian people for approval in a referendum.

President Abbas expects the negotiations to last no more than six months, because previous negotiations have already completed a considerable part of the work.

Al-Maliki said the declaration will be submitted to the Palestinian people for approval in a referendum.

Further Reading:

Abbas, Olmert Ask Negotiators to Draft ‘Joint Statement’