Mubarak addresses Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Conference
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 5/23/2000

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will address today the second Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Parliament Speakers.

Mubarak's address will be read on his behalf by People's Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour.

The agenda of the two-day Conference will cover peace and security in the region, terrorism and organized crime combat, technology transfer, investment incentives, liberalization of trade and implementation of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff (GATT) pacts.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Chairman and the European Parliament Speaker will also address the opening session.

Meanwhile, the Euro- Mediterranean parliaments contact group, which includes speakers from Egypt, Italy, Spain and Tunisia, held a meeting late Monday on funding parliamentary cooperation activities.

Egypt has proposed earmarking two to three percent of the European Union (EU) MEDA program for augmenting Euro- Mediterranean parliamentary cooperation.

Speaker of the People's Assembly Ahmed Fathi Sorour, who doubles as Chairman of the second Euro- Mediterranean Conference, highlighted the importance of parliamentary cooperation between European and Mediterranean countries in backing stability, security and peace efforts.

In a statement following his meeting late on Monday with representatives of the conference member states, Sorour said the meeting took up the establishment of a website for Euro-Mediterranean Conferences, financing activities of parliamentary cooperation and making use of MEDA program.

Sorour added the conference, to open Tuesday, aims at laying down the basic principles for achieving security and stability in the region.

Moreover, Arab delegations to the second Euro- Mediterranean Parliamentary Conference decided Monday to deputise Sorour to speak on Arab demands that no parliamentary resolutions that violate international legitimacy should be adopted.

The Arab delegations agreed to refuse any reservations which might be raised by the Israeli Knesset on the repatriation right of the Palestinian refugees, underlined by the 103rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which was held in Amman.

In statements to Middle East News Agency (MENA), Head of the Arab Parlimentary Union (APU) Abdel-Qader Ben Saleh said that special emphasis would be laid on the Middle East peace process, the need to reach a just and comprehensive peace deal and the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon.

Finally IPU Speaker Nigma Hebatullah, who arrived in Cairo Saterday, will participate in the inauguration of the second Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Speakers.

A diplomatic source from the Embassy of India in Cairo stated that Hebatullah, who also doubles as a Deputy Speaker of the Indian Parliament, would meet Secretary General of the Arab League Dr. Esmat Abdul Maguid to discuss important issues, including the developments in the Middle East and conditions in South East Asia.

The same source said that the Indian parliamentary figure would also meet with Fathi Sorour to discuss means of enhancing relationship between parliaments of the two countries, an Egyptian statement said.

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