No relaxation, more effort and sweat for peace
Egypt-France, Politics, 5/14/2001

Egypt's ambassador to France Ali Maher said that the recent French drive represented in a visit by a Presidential envoy to the Palestinian Lands and Israel on Wednesday came in response to President Hosni Mubarak's endeavours.

Maher, who is the doyen of the Arab diplomatic corps in Paris, told Middle East News Agency (MENA) that President Mubarak stressed during his meetings with French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder that Europe should hold contacts with all political powers concerned to contribute to finding a way out of the present crisis and resuming peace negotiations.

Maher welcomed the French Presidential envoy's invitatian to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon to visit France to activate the peace process.

He added that the French government will stress during Sharon's expected visit to Paris, both France and Europe's opposition of the Israeli settlement policy and excessive use of force.

He underlined that France supports the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative. He added that he is confident that the frersh officials' talks with Sharon would urge for adopting a positve stance as regards this overture.

He said that the French are convinced that it is natural that the Palestinians should react in the form of violence and anger to the excessive Israeli violence.

He expressed hope that the Israelis would realize that security could be brought about through negotiations and peace and not through use of destructive weapons against unarmed civllians .

He said that the French are convinced of PresidentMubarak viewpoint who always stressed that violence leads to counter violence and drives the area into a vicious circle, further confrontaions, killing and bloodshed.

He termed as "excellent' Egyptian-French relations at political and cultural levels.

France pays special attention to its cultural relations with Egypt, he added.

He hoped that Egyptian-French trade relations would reach the same level of the political and cultural ones especially that the trade exchange between Egypt and France annually stands at eight billlon francs.

Previous Stories:
  Stability in Egypt behind increasing investments   (4/3/2001)
  Mubarak, Chirac call for halting violence in Palestinian territories   (3/31/2001)
  Mubarak visits Paris   (3/26/2001)

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