Musharraf says ready to mediate West Asia peace

Dubai, Apr 22: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf expressed readiness to mediate peace between Israel and the Palestinians in remarks broadcast today. Like most fellow Muslim and Arab countries, US-allied Pakistan has no diplomatic ties with Israel, but senior officials from both countries have met on several occasions in recent years.

''If I was accepted as a neutral mediator by all sides, I would most certainly be able to play a big role,'' Musharraf told Al Arabiya television in remarks dubbed in Arabic.

''How would I deal with this issue? ... I would go to Israel and meet leaders there or maybe in a third country,'' said Musharraf, adding that he would wait to see if there was a chance of visiting Israel.

Israel and the Palestinians last held final-status negotiations six years ago but the United States is trying to press them to take steps towards reviving the peace process.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: ''We believe that moderate Muslim states like Pakistan can have an important role in promoting peace in the West Asia.'' Earlier this month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed at Washington's behest to discuss confidence-building measures.

Israel talks to Abbas, but shuns the Palestinian government led by Hamas. The Islamist group is also under a Western embargo to press it to recognise Israel and renounce violence.

In March, Arab countries revived a 2002 plan offering Israel normal ties with all Arab states in return for full withdrawal from lands it occupied in the 1967 war, a Palestinian state and a ''just solution'' for Palestinian refugees.

Israel, citing demographic and security concerns, opposes the return of Palestinian refugees to their former homes in what is now the Jewish state. It also wants to retain its largest settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank.

Reuters