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"The
roadmap will be released to the parties after Mr Abu Mazen is
confirmed, it will be the roadmap draft that was finished last
December," Powell said
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WASHINGTON,
April 15 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell stressed Tuesday, April 15, that the long-awaited
"roadmap" peace plan will be published soon without any
changes despite concerns already expressed by Israel.
The
roadmap was completed in December by the quartet committee grouping the
United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia but
delayed due to political developments.
Powell
confirmed the peace plan will be released in its original form once a
Palestinian prime minister is confirmed, reported Agence France-Presse
(AFP).
"The
roadmap will be released to the parties after Mr Abu Mazen is confirmed,
it will be the roadmap draft that was finished last December," he
told reporters at the State Department's Foreign Press Center.
Powell
was referring to Palestinian premier-designate, Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu
Mazen, whose government is expected to be confirmed by the Palestinian
parliament by next week at the latest.
Earlier
Tuesday in occupied Jerusalem, an Israeli official said that U.S.
ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, had told Israel's foreign minister
that Washington would take Israeli concerns about the roadmap into
serious consideration.
Powell
acknowledged that Washington had received a series of initial comments
about the draft from Israel and expected to hear more from the Jewish
state once the roadmap is released.
At
that point, Powell said the United States would also be seeking comments
from the new Palestinian government but he stressed that the roadmap
would not be changed in response to reactions from either side.
"These
are comments that will come in, they will be considered by the quartet,
but really these are comments that both sides have to begin to discuss
with each other and share with each other," he said.
Israel
had proposed more than 100
amendments to the "roadmap" peace plan which calls for a
Palestinian state to be created alongside a secure Israel by 2005.
The
Jewish state wants all Palestinian resistance attacks to cease and for
strict conditions to be imposed on Palestinian compliance with each
stage of the phased plan before moving on to the next step to
Palestinian statehood.
The
Palestinians want the plan implemented without any changes.
Israel
opposes any immediate pullback from occupied Palestinian territories or
a freeze on Jewish settlement growth in occupied areas, as set out in
the plan.
Reports
said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's special envoy in Washington
had secured a U.S. agreement on the point but Powell insisted that the
settlement freeze was non-negotiable.
"An
essential part of the roadmap will be to deal with the issue of
settlements," Powell said.
"We
understand that and we know that the Israeli government understands
that," he added.
Powell
said he believed there was a "real chance" for progress on
peace efforts given the new dynamic created by the new Palestinian
government, a newly elected Israeli government and U.S. military success
in toppling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
"This
is going to be a very difficult process but I believe progress can be
made if both sides enter this roadmap process with an understanding of
the needs of the other side and with a good faith effort," Powell
concluded.
