SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, 12 May —The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria yesterday expressed the “sincere Arab desire for peace with Israel” and rejected “all forms of violence”.

The declaration was made in a communique after tripartite talks involving Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad.

During the talks, Crown Prince Abdullah briefed Mubarak and Bashar on the outcome of his discussons with US President George W. Bush last month. The three leaders met in this Red Sea resort for a mini-summit to discuss a joint approach to resolving the Middle East crisis.

Before Crown Prince Abdullah’s arrival, Mubarak and Bashar held two hours of bilateral talks

The three-way talks were the first head-to-head meeting between the crown prince and the Arab leaders since he discussed his peace initiative and ways to revive the peace process with Bush. “What you will see tonight is a reaffirmation of their common stand for peace and against aggression and violence and for the security of all peoples of the region,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters.

Earlier, Mubarak said his talks with the Syrian leader were to “coordinate future steps in the peace process”. “I will meet the Saudi crown prince in order to find out what happened during his visit to America, and I believe it was a successful visit,” Mubarak said.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Nabil Shaath and Gaza preventive security chief Muhammad Dahlan were also in Sharm El-Sheikh to brief the foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia and promote their vision of peace at the summit. “We are following the summit,” Shaath said. “We want to see an end to the Israeli occupation...and to return quickly to the peace process.”

The Kingdom has taken an increasingly central role since its initiative was adopted by Arab leaders in Beirut at the end of March.

The plan offered normal ties with Israel in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab land, the establishment of a Palestinian state and a resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem.

Egypt, the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has traditionally played a mediating role in the region. Syria, which wants the return of the Golan Heights seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East conflict, is still officially at war with the Jewish state.

But Maher played down talk of differences between Egypt and Syria, saying: “There are no hard-line positions and soft-line positions. There is a common determination to work for peace.”

Yesterday’s agenda included a US proposal for a Middle East peace conference, which has received a cool response from Arabs, and a possible Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, meanwhile, said Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries were advising Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to help stop bombings and other attacks on Israel.

“We have been counseling that these efforts (bombings) are not helpful to the peace process. ... Everybody is in constant contact,” Prince Saud told US correspondents in Cairo on Friday. Washington has urged Arab countries to condemn attacks on Israel and press the Palestinians to halt all such attacks.

According to the Washington Post, Crown Prince Abdullah was convinced after meeting with President Bush that the US leader was ready to engage in a major push to reach peace between Israelis and Palestinians after 19 months of violence.

Saudi officials have been telling Arafat in “constant” calls that in order for US peace efforts to be successful, the activities of groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad must be curbed, Prince Saud told the Post.

“The US can pursue the vision and restrain Israel... The Arab countries have to make clear that their pursuit of peace is unfettered.... Violence has to stop on both sides,” he added.

The United States, he noted, had helped negotiate an end to Arafat’s confinement in Ramallah, and the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem had concluded peacefully. At the same time, Arafat had made his clearest denunciation yet of Palestinian attacks, and arrested 16 members of Hamas.

Prince Saud said he hoped the Israelis accept those actions as gestures of good faith from Arafat, and not launch a massive retaliation now, or in response to any other attacks that might occur.