Egypt says failed West Asia meet would add to trouble

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Sept 4 (Reuters) Egypt told European politicians today that a peace conference that fails to achieve a breakthrough between Israelis and Palestinians would add to anger, frustration and extremism in the West Asia.

The conference, proposed in July by the United States, must be so well prepared that the participants can be sure it will end with tangible progress on the biggest disputes, Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad told reporters.

Awad was speaking after talks in the Egyptian city of Alexandria between President Hosni Mubarak and both West Asia envoy Tony Blair and Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema.

King Abdullah of Jordan arrived to see Mubarak later.

Since US President George W Bush announced the conference idea, the United States has done little to bridge the gap between the Israelis and Palestinians, diplomats say.

A senior Arab diplomat said that judging by Washington's inactivity, the proposal appeared to be a half-hearted attempt to give a false impression of progress toward peace.

Awad, summarising the views expressed by Mubarak at his meetings today, said: ''Preparations for the meeting in November need to be energised in the little time remaining...

Good preparation is a necessary condition for success.'' ''There has to be a clear vision of tangible results ...

determined beforehand and declared during the meeting, tangible results which will achieve a breakthrough in dealing with the main issues and the final status issues,'' he added.

''Final status issues'' is the diplomatic term for disputes between Israelis and Palestinians over the terms for a lasting peace agreement, including Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

''ANGER AND FRUSTRATION'' Israeli-Palestinian talks have hardly touched on those aspects of peace since 2001, when the two sides came closer to a settlement than at any time since Israel was created in 1948.

The Egyptian spokesman said: ''(President Mubarak) warned that this meeting should not be a lost opportunity to be added to past lost opportunities.

''And if this meeting does not achieve a real breakthrough ... then the negative repercussions will touch everything in the region and will increase feelings of anger and frustration and everything that brings in the way of the rise of extremist forces in the region and outside,'' he added.

Blair, a former British prime minister assigned as envoy by the international Quartet, did not speak to reporters.

D'Alema said the peace conference would succeed ''if principles are laid down to make the peace process succeed, and not just encouraging the parties to complete the peace process''.

He defended the European Union policy of encouraging the two rival Palestinian factions -- Fatah and Hamas -- to work for Palestinian national reconciliation, while the European Union itself refuses to have dealings with Hamas.

''(Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas is ready to start again with negotiations between Palestinians and I fully share his opinion,'' he said.

Abbas says Fatah will negotiate with Hamas only when it restores the status quo ante in Gaza, where Hamas defeated Fatah forces and took full control in June.

Hamas refuses to recognise the government Abbas appointed to replace a national unity government led by Hamas.

D'Alema said: ''What's important is to re-establish legality and it's the responsibility of Hamas in Gaza to create the conditions for a national reconciliation process.'' REUTERS PD BST1843