Israel and Egypt began another round of talks in Cairo Tuesday to advance the normalization process between the two countries and to decide how to submit the Taba border dispute to international arbitration.
The Israeli negotiating team arrived Monday night to find the Egyptian capital calm but still tense following two days of riots by disaffected police conscripts last week. They were greeted at the airport by representatives of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Their motorcade sped through streets emptied of traffic and pedestrians because of the all-night curfew still in effect.
Sources in Jerusalem said the talks were being held as scheduled to demonstrate that the authorities are in control of the situation and the watchword is business as usual. The Israeli team is headed by Avraham Tamir, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office and David Kimche, Director General of the Foreign Ministry.
Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Avraham Sharir, is scheduled to visit Cairo in two weeks. Israelis believe the Egyptians will propose joint package tours in an effort to revive Israeli tourism to Egypt which was hard hit by the recent unrest. Mustapha Khalil, a close associate of President Hosni Mubarak and deputy chairman of his ruling party, old Yediot Achronot in an interview published Tuesday that Israel should not be alarmed by the latest events in Egypt.
“You should not have any doubts regarding the peace process and you do not need to reevaluate the situation,” he said. He was quoted as assuring Israel that Egypt will fulfill all of its obligations under the 1979 peace treaty.
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