MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning with the diplomatic efforts to end more than two weeks of bloodshed in the Middle East. Just hours ago, we received word that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak have agreed to attend an emergency summit in Egypt. For details, we turn to CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour in Jerusalem -- Christiane.</s>CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miles, under intense diplomatic pressure for the United States, from the United Nations secretary general and indeed from some Arab leaders, both the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat and the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, have agreed to attend a summit. Also under intense pressure, they have agreed to abandon conditions, we are told. However, Kofi Annan, the U.N. secretary general, who helped broker this summit, says there has to be at least a minimum requirement before they can sit down to talk.</s>KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL: I have asked both sides to stop firing now into the summit. And into the summit, one of the things we'll try to compromise (ph) will be cease-fire and other issues that President Clinton has on the table.</s>AMANPOUR: So you just heard Kofi Annan say the objective was not just to hold the summit but to actually achieve something, first of all a permanent cease-fire and secondly some kind of way to reopen the path toward peace negotiations. The Palestinian side is still demanding that there be an international commission of inquiry into the last two weeks of violence -- Miles.</s>O'BRIEN: CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Jerusalem, thanks much -- Daryn. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Arafat, Barak Agree to Emergency Summit