ABSTRACT
In Chapter 6, it was pointed out that developments at the international, regional and domestic levels paved the way to the possibility of region-wide political cooperation in the Middle East. The structure of this cooperation is often referred to as the Madrid process and will briefly be evaluated with a view to preparing the basis for the model of cooperation to be developed in this chapter. The Madrid process consists of three elements. The first one was the opening conference which was convened under the auspices of the United States and the Soviet Union on 30 October 1991 and lasted for three days. This was the first time ever that a number of Arab states and Israel had come together to sit around the same negotiating table with the purpose of achieving peace. The second element was the ongoing direct bilateral negotiations between Israel and Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians. The direct talks between Israel and Arab states aim to achieve peace treaties while the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are based on a two-stage formula. The formula aims to achieve a five-year interim selfgovernment arrangement for the Palestinians in the occupied territories followed by negotiations on the permanent status of these territories. The third element of the Madrid process, known as the multilateral track, started at a conference in Moscow in January 1992 and is meant to build the basis for a secure and stable Middle East for the future. The multilateral track includes five separate fora attended by representatives of Middle Eastern countries as well as the international community. The talks focus on five key issues of concern to the Middle East: water, environment, arms control, refugees and economic development. A working group focuses on each issue.1
