Abbas: Egypt key in reconciliation talks

CAIRO, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday Egypt will continue to be the sole mediator in the dispute between rival factions Fatah and Hamas.

Speaking in Cairo after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas said Egypt's role in settling the dispute will be central, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.

Abbas reportedly said that the final signing ceremony for an Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation document will be in Egypt, and that Cairo would also follow up on its implementation.

"This is the Palestinian Authority and Fatah's stance," Ma'an quoted Abbas as saying.

Abbas also said he and other Palestinian leaders had discussed a proposal broached by U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, in which Mitchell offered to shuttle between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in "proximity talks" to restart the Mideast peace process.

"A meeting was held between Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian officials to discuss the issue, and we await the U.S. response to a number of questions," Abbas reportedly said. "When we receive the answers, we will discuss them with Arab countries, and announce our stance."