Joint Statement by King Hassan II, Foreign Minister Peres and PA Chairman Arafat
(May 28, 1995)
In view of the central role of King Hassan II in promoting peace between Israel and the Arab world, his role in arranging meetings in Morocco that led to the Sadat visit in 1977, and his ongoing interest and active involvement in the peace process, Mr. Peres and Mr. Arafat traveled to Morocco to apprise him of the state of Israel-PLO negotiations. At the conclusion of the meeting, the following joint communique was issued:
The Israelis and the Palestinians, recognizing the important role of His Majesty King Hassan II in the peace process in general and the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in particular, considered it appropriate, at this stage of the process, for Mr. Yasser Arafat and Mr. Shimon Peres to consult with H.M. the King of Morocco. A meeting was held under his patronage to seek ways to bolster and accelerate the peace process with the aim of implementing as rapidly as possible the obligations contained in the Oslo, Washington and Cairo agreements.
The following points were also discussed:
1. The drawing of conclusions from the recent difficulties and the search for effective and reliable means to arrive at a lasting peace, while ensuring that no situation will be allowed again to endanger the peace process.
2. The development of economic cooperation between Israel, the Palestinians and the neighboring states, in an effort to bring about freer movement of goods and people between Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and other countries, while guaranteeing appropriate means to assure the security of all parties.
3. The need to afford the Palestinians the means to enable their economy to take part in the cooperation projects of the Mediterranean countries.
His Majesty King Hassan II, Mr. Arafat and Mr. Peres believe that the Economic Conference which convened in Casablanca in October 1994 marks the opening of a new and promising economic era for the peoples of the region, and for the Palestinians in particular.
They are convinced that this momentum must be continued by implementing the decisions contained in the Casablanca Declaration and assuring the success of the Amman Conference to be held at the end of October 1995 as well as the Euro-Mediterranean Conference to be held in Barcelona in November of this year.
Israel and the Palestinians reiterated their real desire to reach an agreement no later than July 1, 1995 on the second stage of the interim agreement, including redeployment, security arrangements, elections, transfer of powers, and other points contained in the Oslo, Washington and Cairo agreements.
Mr. Shimon Peres and Mr. Yasser Arafat wish to thank His Majesty King Hassan II for the opportunity to meet with him in Morocco, for his warm and cordial hospitality, and for his untiring efforts throughout the years in the cause of peace.
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