UN envoy meets Palestinian Liberation Organisation leader Abbas

(12 Dec 2004)

1. Exterior of building with UN cars outside
2. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian leader:
"Indeed neither Kuwait nor the other Arab countries in the Gulf stopped their aid in the past or in the present but of course we will present our special (new) needs in front of them and leave it to their consideration."
3. Abbas leaving
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Terje Roed Larsen, UN Mideast envoy:
"We have some of our electoral experts from New York who are deployed here now to work very closely with the Palestinians and so far the reports are that the preparatory process is done in an excellent way and we have all the reasons to believe that this will continue so."
5. Journalists
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Terje Roed Larsen, UN Mideast envoy:
"I think for a peace conference of the sort which is defined as part of a second step of the road map I think its too early to do it early next year but for key international players to meet to discuss the immediate issues, for instance the economic issues, the disengagement and may be also some of the overall issues. I think it's possible. We are discussing it in the international community and I think within a fairly short period of time there will be many decision about may be having such a meeting but the form and shape and participants are not clear yet."
7. Larsen leaving

STORYLINE:

Palestinian leader Mahmound Abbas said on Sunday he would request further aid from Kuwait during his landmark visit.

Relations between the Palestinians and Kuwait soured after former PLO leader Yasser Arafat supported Iraq in its 1990 invasion of this oil-rich country and opposed the subsequent U.S.-led Gulf War that liberated it. Arafat never visited Kuwait afterward.

While serving as prime minister last year, Abbas condemned the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in an interview with the state-owned Kuwait News Agency.

He said the Palestinian leadership's position was "incorrect" and he understood why Kuwaitis were "angry and reproachful." He stopped short of apologising.

Some 450-thousand Palestinians lived in Kuwait before the invasion and most were expelled or pressured to leave after the country was liberated.

Scores of Palestinians were convicted after the war for collaborating with Iraqi occupiers.

Kuwait, however, continued to provide financial aid to the Palestinian people through the Arab League and international organisations.

Abbas said Sunday "the Kuwaitis and the Arab Gulf did not stop their aid in the past nor in the present but of course we will present our special needs in front of them and leave it to their consideration."

Earlier Abbas met U.N. Secretary General special representative Terje Roed Larsen to discuss preparations of the Palestinian presidential elections in January.

Larsen said a UN team in the region would help Palestinians with the preparations which he believed was going ahead "in an excellent way."

Larsen also said it was premature for a "proposed peace conference" between Israel and Palestine to take place in early 2005.

However, he added it was possible for key international players to discuss "immediate issues" such as the economy, disengagement and overall issues "within a fairly short period of time".

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