> > ----Original Message Follows---- > Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 20:32:50 -0600 (CST) > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rich Winkel) > Subject: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a > To: undisclosed-recipients:; > > /** ips.english: 404.0 **/ > ** Topic: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a > ** > ** Written 2:38 PM Jan 13, 1999 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.english ** > Copyright 1999 InterPress Service, all rights reserved. > Worldwide distribution via the APC networks. > > *** 10-Jan-99 *** > > Title: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a > Stir > > by Mark Bourrie > > OTTAWA, Jan 10 (IPS)- An impending free trade agreement between > Canada and the Palestinian Authority is expected to provoke the > ire of some sectors in Israel and other opponents of an > independent Palestinian state. > > Canadian and Palestinian diplomats held secret negotiations > here through last autumn and an agreement is expected to be signed > in February or March, just as Israel heads into an election that > will likely centre on the issue of Palestinian autonomy. > > Canadian Trade Minister Sergio Marchi, a vocal advocate of free > trade, is to visit the Middle East at the end of February. > Officials of his ministry say Marchi wants to sign the trade deal > during that visit. > > Mideast trade is a minor part of Canada's international > business, although Canada and Israel did conclude a free trade > agreement two years ago. Canada want a similar deal with the > Palestinians. > > Canada-Israel trade amounts annually to about 450 million U.S. > dollars, mainly high-tech products, diamonds and phosphates, but > only a small fraction involves areas now governed by the > Palestinian Authority. > > Canada and the PLO have had good diplomatic relations since the > mid-1970s. An agreement signed between Yasser Arafat's government > and a Western power would give greater legitimacy to the > Palestinian claim to independence, drawing the ire of Israel. > > Palestinian diplomats here said a trade agreement would have > political, rather than economic, significance. > > "Economically it will not benefit much for the time being," > said Bakr Abdul Minem, the PLO's diplomatic representative in > Canada and de-facto ambassador of the Palestinian Authority. "The > most important meaning is a political one." > > Minen said the negotiators were not trying to create a > political problem with Israel. "We want to find a way to do this > and not embarrass anyone," he said. > > Canadian officials tried to play down the importance of the > talks, but admitted they were more than just a simple extension of > the Canada-Israel agreement. "We recognize that we want to balance > our interests in the area," said Leslie Swartman, spokeswoman for > Marchi. "It's separate and apart from the Canada-Israel free trade > agreement." > > Diplomats at Israel's embassy here said they had been given > assurances that a free trade agreement would not give a boost to > the Palestinian drive for full statehood. > > However, Jewish groups in Canada, who learned of the > negotiations just over a week ago, said they would lobby against > any agreement that gives an aura of statehood to the Palestinian > Authority. > > "It's not acceptable for them to pretend to be something > they're not," said Robert Ridder, executive director of the Canada- > Israel Committee. > > "We wouldn't be happy and we'd make our position clear," he > added. (END/IPS/MB/KB/98) > > Origin: Montevideo/POLITICS/ > ---- > > [c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS) > All rights reserved > > May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or > service outside of the APC networks, without specific > permission from IPS. This limitation includes distribution > via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, > print media and broadcast. For information about cross- > posting, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. For > information about print or broadcast reproduction please > contact the IPS coordinator at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. > > ** End of text from cdp:ips.english ** > > *************************************************************************** > This material came from the Institute for Global Communications (IGC), a > non-profit, unionized, politically progressive Internet services > provider. > For more information, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (you will get > back an automatic reply), or visit their web site at http://www.igc.org/ > . > IGC is a project of the Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) charitable > organization. > ***************************************************************************
----Original Message Follows---- Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 20:32:50 -0600 (CST) From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rich Winkel) Subject: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a To: undisclosed-recipients:; /** ips.english: 404.0 **/ ** Topic: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a ** ** Written 2:38 PM Jan 13, 1999 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.english ** Copyright 1999 InterPress Service, all rights reserved. Worldwide distribution via the APC networks. *** 10-Jan-99 *** Title: POLITICS: Impending Canada-Palestine Deal Expected to Cause a Stir by Mark Bourrie OTTAWA, Jan 10 (IPS)- An impending free trade agreement between Canada and the Palestinian Authority is expected to provoke the ire of some sectors in Israel and other opponents of an independent Palestinian state. Canadian and Palestinian diplomats held secret negotiations here through last autumn and an agreement is expected to be signed in February or March, just as Israel heads into an election that will likely centre on the issue of Palestinian autonomy. Canadian Trade Minister Sergio Marchi, a vocal advocate of free trade, is to visit the Middle East at the end of February. Officials of his ministry say Marchi wants to sign the trade deal during that visit. Mideast trade is a minor part of Canada's international business, although Canada and Israel did conclude a free trade agreement two years ago. Canada want a similar deal with the Palestinians. Canada-Israel trade amounts annually to about 450 million U.S. dollars, mainly high-tech products, diamonds and phosphates, but only a small fraction involves areas now governed by the Palestinian Authority. Canada and the PLO have had good diplomatic relations since the mid-1970s. An agreement signed between Yasser Arafat's government and a Western power would give greater legitimacy to the Palestinian claim to independence, drawing the ire of Israel. Palestinian diplomats here said a trade agreement would have political, rather than economic, significance. "Economically it will not benefit much for the time being," said Bakr Abdul Minem, the PLO's diplomatic representative in Canada and de-facto ambassador of the Palestinian Authority. "The most important meaning is a political one." Minen said the negotiators were not trying to create a political problem with Israel. "We want to find a way to do this and not embarrass anyone," he said. Canadian officials tried to play down the importance of the talks, but admitted they were more than just a simple extension of the Canada-Israel agreement. "We recognize that we want to balance our interests in the area," said Leslie Swartman, spokeswoman for Marchi. "It's separate and apart from the Canada-Israel free trade agreement." Diplomats at Israel's embassy here said they had been given assurances that a free trade agreement would not give a boost to the Palestinian drive for full statehood. However, Jewish groups in Canada, who learned of the negotiations just over a week ago, said they would lobby against any agreement that gives an aura of statehood to the Palestinian Authority. "It's not acceptable for them to pretend to be something they're not," said Robert Ridder, executive director of the Canada- Israel Committee. "We wouldn't be happy and we'd make our position clear," he added. (END/IPS/MB/KB/98) Origin: Montevideo/POLITICS/ ---- [c] 1999, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS) All rights reserved May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service outside of the APC networks, without specific permission from IPS. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For information about cross- posting, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. For information about print or broadcast reproduction please contact the IPS coordinator at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. ** End of text from cdp:ips.english ** *************************************************************************** This material came from the Institute for Global Communications (IGC), a non-profit, unionized, politically progressive Internet services provider. For more information, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (you will get back an automatic reply), or visit their web site at http://www.igc.org/ . IGC is a project of the Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. *************************************************************************** ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
