Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit affirmed on 10/5/2007 that the Arab liaison committee, which met yesterday in Cairo with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, did not negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians.

He said Thursday's meeting came in implementation of the Arab peace initiative's follow-up committee which met on April 18 to hold contacts with parties concerned with the peace process to drum up support for the initiative.

Abul-Gheit said there was an Arab consensus on the importance of starting efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict to end the occupation of the Arab territories in 1967.

Abul-Gheit's statements came after the three-way meeting held in Cairo on 10/5/2007 grouping also, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Illah Al-Khateeb and Tzipi Livni.

Abul-Gheit said Thursday's meeting constituted a start for dialogue between the Arab side and Israel on the Arab peace initiative and means to push forward the Middle East peace process.

He said the Arab side is talking now with one voice and offered its vision for peace, pointing out that Egypt and Jordan were coordinating with other Arab states.

Abul-Gheit had said at a joint press conference with his two counterparts that the Arab Peace Initiative aims at achieving a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arabs represented by the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese in return for normalization of relations with Israel.

The meeting took up the role played by the Arab League in pushing forward the stalled Mideast peace march, Abul-Gheit told reporters.

The Egyptian side will convey the Israeli viewpoint to the Arab group and the follow-up committee stemming from the Arab summit.

"Today's meeting also tackled several Arab concepts as well as the Israeli viewpoint," he added.

On his part, Tzipi Livni said that Israel wants to see two states living in peace side by side, adding the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians will go on bilateral track, but she called on Arab countries to support the two parties with object to reach the hopeful peace.

"The Arab world could play a key role to help the Palestinians and Israelis realize peace,' she said.

"Today's meeting was a preparatory one," she said, terming it as "very good". The coming one will be held in Israel, she said.

On his part, Al-Khateeb said the meeting took place in line with an assignment by the Riyadh Arab summit on forming a committee to follow up the Arab peace initiative. This committee entrusted Egypt and Jordan with holding direct contacts with Israel to express the Arab stance vis-a-vis the Arab overture.

The Jordanian top diplomat hoped an agreement would be reached, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel.

Ahmed Abul-Gheit reiterated Egypt's demand on the necessity of launching an investigation by the Israeli authorities on the issue of killing Egyptian prisoners of war during the 1967 war by Israeli troops, a report released by the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Abul Gheit pointed to Egyptians' anger over the reports which revealed such crimes during the previous military actions.

The release added Abul-Gheit raised this issue during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart yesterday.