Clinton convenes W Asia summit in October

“There has been a significant narrowing of gaps,” Clinton said following the meeting with the two leaders. But he added that a “substantial amount of work” remains to be done before a deal can be struck that would restart the peace process after an 18-month standstill.

US officials said the summit, which Clinton first unsuccessfully tried to set up back in May, would be held “in the greater Washington area” in the middle of the month but that an exact date and location had not been determined.

After the oval office session, Netanyahu met Clinton while Arafat went to New York to address the UN general assembly. He was to return tothe White House tomorrow for additional talks.

To prepare the summit, Clinton asked Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and envoy Dennis Ross to travel to the Middle East to try to resolve the outstanding issues.

According to US officials, discussions will focus on Palestinian guarantees to clamp down on militants and other details of the agreement providing for an Israeli withdrawal from 13 per cent of the West Bank.

Clinton was careful to steer clear of the explosive issue of Palestinian statehood that Arafat plans to declare in May of next year unless progress is made.

“I believe it would be an error for me to comment on that,” Clinton said, noting that the issue is to be resolved during negotiations on the final peace settlement .

Israel has warned that a declaration of Palestinian independence would lead to the collapse of the peace process and plunge the region into turmoil.

Clinton’s meeting with the two leaders marked a return by the US president to Mid-east peacemaking following hisattempt in January to win support for a US package of proposals for breaking the stalemate.

Arafat fails to declare a Palestinian state

United Nations: Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has failed to announce his intention of unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state in May.

Arafat, disappointed by progress with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had been expected to make a bold declaration on statehood in his speech to the 185-nation UN General Assembly yesterday.

It is the first time Arafat has addressed the Assembly’s annual two-week debate, reserved for the UN member states. However Arafat, who appeared here fresh from talks in Washington with Netanyahu and US President Bill Clinton, spoke of plans for a Palestinian state in general terms.

He said, “This independent Palestinian state must be established as an embodiment of the right of our people to self-determination.”