Peres and other Israeli officials head to Jordan conference
Photo: Tomriko
Assad 's officials to bump into Israelis "by accident"
Photo: Reuters
Israeli and Syrian officials may meet
Representatives of Syria and Israel, including Vice Premier Shimon Peres, could meet discretely at World Economic Forum
Israeli officials may meet with their Syrian counterparts at the World Economic Forum according to a new Egyptian initiative to bridge the gap between the sides, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who has mediated negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and is trying to establish himself as a key peace arbitrator, had urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to allow officials from his country to meet Americans and Israelis at the conference in Jordan on May 20.
An organizer of the annual forum, a prime gathering for world leaders and top business figures, said such a meeting could be initiated in the middle of a hallway “by accident” but is more likely to be called discretely by European officials who would invite Israeli and Syrian representatives to attend.
The Syrian ambassador to Jordan said Syrian officials planned to “make a prominent presence at the conference and hold meetings with all the participants.”
The top Israeli representatives who are due to attend the conference are Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, while Syria is likely to send its finance minister, among other officials.
Mubarak mediated a cease-fire declared by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh in February, aimed to bring a halt to more than four years of violence. He is also trying to help Israel coordinate its Gaza pullout plan with the Palestinians.
The Egyptian president has also made several attempts to bring Israeli and Syrian leaders together to negotiate peace. Israel has rejected the proposals, saying Syria must first dismantle terrorist groups operating in its territory.
