The Palestinian-Israeli peace process and attempts to preserve the unity of Iraq dominated discussions ahead of the Riyadh summit, reports Doaa El-Bey Since the formation of the Palestinian national unity government, Egypt, along with other Arab countries, has been pressing the West to revive the peace process and push towards establishing a Palestinian state. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's first official visit to the region presented an opportunity to restate the Arab position on a host of thorny issues, including Palestine and Iraq. As Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said following his meeting with Ki-Moon, they discussed everything from "Mauritania to the Gulf". Responding to questions on rumoured changes to the 2002 Arab initiative, Moussa insisted the current formula dealt with all files related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. "Our hands will always be extended and we remain committed to peace," he said, adding that Israeli excavations beneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the building of more settlements sent only negative messages to the Arabs. While Ki-Moon has so far refused to call on the international community to recognise the Palestinian government and lift the embargo imposed when Hamas won elections early last year, he did state that it was necessary for the international community to encourage the ongoing peace process. Following a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak, Ki-Moon urged the Palestinian government to meet the demands of the international community. The UN, a Quartet member, insists the new Palestinian government should recognise Israel, abide by previous agreements and renounce violence before it is recognised. Last week the UN announced it would maintain the embargo, though in what was regarded as a possible breakthrough the Quartet agreed to judge the new government on its actions as well as its composition. It was Iraq, however, that dominated Ban's tour of the region. After his meeting with Moussa he told journalists that by visiting Iraq -- the first leg of his tour -- he was "able to experience in person the ongoing violence and security concerns". He said the UN would continue to support Iraq, encouraging political facilitation and providing channels for social and economic reconstruction efforts in addition to humanitarian assistance. "The situation on the ground has acted to constrain the activities of the United Nations," he said, while pledging to "consider ... how we can increase our presence to help the Iraqi people to ... recover their security, politically and socially, and also enjoy genuine freedom and democracy". The UN secretary-general also highlighted international concerns over Darfur, where the UN has been trying to deploy forces alongside the African Union. He appealed to Mubarak and other leaders in the region to address the issue more seriously. Moussa said Darfur would be further discussed in Riyadh during the Arab summit which Ban is scheduled to address. In addition to Iraq and Egypt, Ban visited Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan during his tour, and following the Riyadh summit will visit Lebanon. Ban's tour coincided with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's visit to the region, her seventh in the last eight months. The UN chief's visit also came a day after President Mubarak concluded his own two-day visit to Turkey. Mubarak met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in an attempt to boost the peace process in Palestine and maintain stability and unity in Iraq. The visit is seen as significant because both Turkey and Egypt maintain good relations with Israel. The two presidents agreed to cooperate more closely on reviving the peace process. Turkey has recently been seeking to play a more active political role in the Middle East: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul attended an Arab League meeting early this month while Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was scheduled to attend the Riyadh Summit. Mubarak's Turkish visit allowed Egypt and Turkey to reiterate their support for the new Palestinian government ahead of the Riyadh summit. The two presidents also agreed on the importance of preserving Iraqi unity and stability. Turkey is expected to host a high-level international conference on Iraq in Istanbul early next month. Mubarak also met the Turkish Chief of General Staff Yasar Buyukanit, as well as a group of businessmen. The visit came within the framework of attempts by the two countries to boost the economic cooperation, especially in the fields of trade, investment and energy supplies. Mubarak last visited Turkey in 2004 while Sezer was in Egypt late last year. While trade between the two countries reached $ 1.1 billion last year, that figure is expected to grow fivefold within less than a decade.
