TheMiddle East Quartet, which include United States, the U.N., the EU andRussia, are set to meet Sunday in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula resorttown of Sharm el-Sheikh, amid a wait-and-see attitude following therecent U.S. presidential election and upcoming Israeli elections, earlyin 2009.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her 19thvisit to the Middle East, and will meet with Russian Foreign MinisterSerguei Lavrov, Saturday night, before a late dinner meeting withQuartet host, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.
Riceis "concentrating on narrowing the distance to peace," between Israeland the Palestinians, while admitting frankly that she doesn't expect amajor breakthrough in the waning weeks of the Bush administration.
Securityin the Sinai Peninsula has been extremely tight in the leadup to themeeting, with Al-Arabiya TV reporting that Egyptian police seized a tonof TNT, Friday, although it was believed that the explosives wereheaded for the Gaza Strip.
French Foreign Minister BernardKouchner, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, and the Quartet's specialenvoy Tony Blair will also participate in the weekend get-together.
TheSharm el-Sheikh gathering comes almost a year after a peace conferencein Annapolis, Maryland reignited peace negotiations, which had beenstalled for the first seven years of the Bush administration.
SecretaryRice has called the Annapolis conference "vital and vibrant" and urgedthat its work continue, despite the lack of progress over the thornyissues of Palestinian refugees, the ultimate status of Jerusalem, andthe borders of a yet-to-be Palestinian state.
The goal of the Quartet has been to reach a peace deal that would set up an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
FormerEgyptian Foreign Minister, Esmet Abd al-Meguid says that Egypt has longworked to find a solution to the Palestinian problem and meetings suchas this one are a step in the right direction, even if no immediateresults are to be expected.
"I consider that this is an attemptto reach a solution to the problem, and by having a meeting like thathappening in Sharm el-Sheikh, we have to help in achieving results," hesaid. "If there is no success, than this should take place later on. Ithink it is needed because any attempt to reach a solution to help insolving a problem is something we should support ... this is my belief."
Abdal-Meguid thinks that both the United States and Israel need to make aconcerted effort to find a solution to the Palestinian problem, andthat the Palestinians should not always be the ones that are pressuredto make concessions:
"According to what we try in Egypt to finda solution to a problem, this should be encouraged, but also the otherside, the Israelis must be helpful in that," he said. "I am not awareof what they are doing, but certainly there is a responsibility on theUnited States to support and to find a solution to the problem, this ismy opinion according to what I was dealing with many years ago."
"I'm notcriticizing. I'm trying to find a solution. this is something thatshould be helpful, it should be reaching a solution to a problem?thePalestinians have problems, I think, they are entitled to reach asolution for them, and not to put pressure on them," he added.
The Arabpress is putting extremely low expectations on the Quartet meeting,with the daily running a caricature of two empty chairs,representing the United States and Israe,l and indicating that bothcountries will soon have new leaders.
In Sharm el-Sheikh, feware expecting any dramatic developments in the peace process, but noneof the participants are overtly criticizing the talks, and their merepresence appears to be a step in the right direction.