The Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Avraham Burg, and the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Mr. Ahmad Qureï, "Abu Ala", will meet in Geneva on 8th and 9th January 2003, at the invitation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and ththe Swiss Parliamentary Group at the IPU, in cooperation with the "Manifesto – Movement for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" and the support of the Swiss and Geneva authorities. This meeting will take place at the House of Parliaments, the new IPU Headquarters.

The President of the IPU Council, Chilean Senator Sergio Páez and the IPU Secretary General, Mr. Anders. B.Johnsson, as well as the Speakers of the Swiss National Council, Mr. Yves Christen, the Egyptian People’s Assembly, Dr. Ahmed Fathy Sorour, and the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Pier Ferdinando Casini, will also be present.

The meeting between the Speakers of the Knesset and the PLC is part of the IPU’s endeavours to encourage the dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian MPs. It has been doing this since 1987 in the framework of its Committee on Middle East Questions.

The meeting will start on Wednesday 8th January 2003, at 3 p.m. in the premises of the House of Parliaments (5, ch. du Pommier, Grand-Saconnex, Geneva) and will end on Thursday 9th January, with a press conference, scheduled at 11 a.m. A photo opportunity for photographers and cameramen is planned at the opening of the meeting.

Mr. Burg et Mr. Qureï "Abu Ala" will also talk with the leaders of the "Manifesto – Movement for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East", who along with the IPU and the Swiss Parliamentary Group at the IPU are organising a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian MPs due to take place in spring 2003, after the elections scheduled in Israel and in the Palestinian territories, with the support of the Swiss and Geneva authorities.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral organisation, currently has 144 affiliated national parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The organisation of the world's parliaments also has a Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York.
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Contacts:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Tel. +4122 919 41 16/27 Fax: +4122 919 41 60, 919 41 97 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org