Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Ahmed Qorei, the lead Palestinian negotiator of the Oslo accords with Israel who went on to serve as prime minister in the self-rule authority it created, has passed away at the age of 85.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas hailed Qorei as a staunch “fighter” for the Palestinian cause.
His death was announced by ruling Fatah party.
Qorei’s rise to international acclaim as negotiator
Better known under his nom de guerre Abu Alaa, Qorei rose to international fame as the lead Palestinian negotiator in secret talks that led to the historic handshake between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in White House in September 1993.
A banker by training, Qorei had previously served as in charge of financial affairs within the Palestine Liberation Organization, using his knowledge to boost its finances.
After serving on several ministerial posts in the fledgling Palestinian Authority, he was elected parliament speaker after the first Palestinian legislative elections in 1996.
Qorei retained that role until 2003 when he became prime minister, replacing the stepping down Abbas.
When Arafat passed away in November 2004, Qorei served as interim president until Abbas was elected in January 2005.
