Maher in Washington
Egypt-USA, Politics, 6/22/2001

The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher arrived in Washington Wednesday a four-day visit.

During the visit, Maher is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezze Rice, and a number of congressmen and leaders of the Arab, Islamic and Jewish organizations in the US.

Maher's talks will deal with Egypt's viewpoints as regards the current situation in the Middle East following the approval of Palestinians and Israelis on an US-brokered ceasefire plan.

He will also discuss with the US officials the regional issues of mutual interest and progress realized in matters concerning bilateral relations, which was probed during President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Washington in April.

The plan includes focusing on commitment to a specific cooling-off period and starting a confidence-building stage as well as returning to the negotiating table as soon as possible to find a way out of the current crisis.

Ahmed Maher said that consultations between Egypt and the United States are continuing whether through the exchange of visits between officials in the two countries or through diplomatic contacts.

Maher told Middle East News Agency (MENA) that the Middle East area is passing through a highly delicate and most dangerous stage as a result of continued Israeli practices against the Palestinian people and Israel's attempt to separate between movement in the security sphere and movement in the political sphere which are two parallel wings of the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative and the Mitchell commission recommendations which received wide international support.

Thus it was natural for the foreign minister to visit Washington within the framework of continued consultations between Egypt and the United States to seek a way out of this situation and to hold talks with American officials to ensure the security of all peoples, end violence and move politically towards settlement.

The Foreign Minister said that Egyptian-American relations would be the focus of his talks in Washington whether at the level of the administration or the congress in order to strengthen these relations in the interest of the two peoples and in the interest of the issue of stability in the area.

Asked on the Egyptian vision to carry out the Mitchell commission recommendations, the foreign minister said: "the Egyptian vision is the one which was expressed in the Egyptian -Jordanian initiative which adopted many of the proposals embodied in the Mitchell commission recommendations.

It is based on international legitimacy and the necessity that the Palestinian people release their national and political rights including setting up their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital in circumstances which ensure security and safety for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and all the peoples of the area and avoid bloodshed by applying all the resolutions of international legitimacy,"

During his four-day visit to Washington, Maher will hold a number of meetings with various American officials.

He will hold talks today with Secretary of State Colin Powell for the first time since Maher took over the post of Foreign Minister in May.

Maher will present Egypt's views regarding the current situation in the Middle East in the wake of the consent of the Palestinian and Israeli sides to the cease-fire plan, proposed by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director George Tenet.

Maher will focus on reaching the stage of building confidence and returning to the negotiating table as soon as possible.

Maher and Powell will discuss a number of regional issues of mutual interest such as Iraq and Sudan.

Well-informed sources told MENA in Washington that Maher would hold talks on Friday with National Security advisor Condoleezza Rice and other American officials.

The Egyptian official will hold talks with a number of congressmen and Arab ambassadors in Washington.

He will attend a meeting with Jewish -American organizations to be organized by the Jewish American committee.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt's foreign minister starts soon official visit to Washington   (6/19/2001)
  Mubarak discusses with CIA director ways of shoring up ceasefire   (6/11/2001)
  Mubarak and CIA Director discuss stability in ME   (6/7/2001)

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