Moussa starts a tour of three Arab states
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 1/8/2001

Egypt's Foreign Minister Amr Moussa starts on Monday a four-day tour of some Arab states, that will take him to Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.

Moussa will head on Monday for Sudan on a two-day visit for talks with Sudanese President Omar Al-Basher and other Senior Sudanese officials.

Talks will deal with means of realizing stability in Sudan, bilateral relations as well as the latest developments on the Arab arena.

Starting with Moussa's visit to Sudan, Moussa will convey a message from President Hosni Mubarak to President Omar Al-Bashir.

He would also hold talks with his Sudanese counterpart and a number of senior officials on bilateral relations.

Moussa said he has received a phone call earlier in the day from Sudanese National Democratic Alliance Chairman, Mohammed Othman El-Merghani on the Egypt-Libya initiative to achieve national reconciliation in Sudan.

The Foreign Minister deemed the dual overtures as one of the most important factors in the Sudanese issue now that it takes into consideration the whole gamut of the Sudanese problem with its various dimensions.

On a reported Algerian initiative on Sudan, Moussa denied knowing of any such bids, welcoming, however, efforts exerted in coordination with Egypt-Libya initiative.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, due to start on Tuesday, Moussa will hold talks with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al Faisal on the latest developments of the Middle East peace process and the current Arab situation.

The Egyptian-Saudi Higher Committee will follow up the implementation of the decisions taken by the committee's previous meeting.

They will discuss bilateral relations in the various fields, on top of which is the establishment of a free trade area and increase of trade exchange between the two countries.

Also, the two sides will tackle the issue of setting joint investments.

Saudi Arabia is by far the biggest Arab country investor in Egypt.

On whether the Cairo security meeting, grouping Palestinian Israeli and US Security officials, aims at bringingPalestinian Intifada to a halt or just discussing secure arrangements, Moussa ruled out any possible Egyptian support freezing the Intifada without reviving the peacemaking bid.

Asked to comment on the double-standard policies of Israeli Premier Ehud Barak who, one day, speaks of peace and the other threatens of waging a regional war. Moussa pointed out that the language of war should be avoided.

On Israelis' attempt to focus on security issues Moussa pointed out that the security problem will be addressed but via a political settlement.

As for the Intifada, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that backing the Palestinian Intifada was essential, and that supporting the families of Palestinian war victims is a duty for everyone to shoulder.

On the possibility of activating the European Union role after it had been slipped, Moussa said he would shortly visit Sweden shortly which assumed the rotating presidency of the EU as of January, 2001.

Sweden would have a good opportunity in positively and objectively contributing to the Middle East peace march.

Asked whether the recently-floated US peace proposals could constitute a basis to be built on by the new administration of President-elect George W. Bush, Moussa said the current US proposals do not stand by themselves without the comments of the parties concerned.

He asserted, however, that any peace document must be balanced and come in line with international legitimacy.

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