Maher leaves for Durban Thursday
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 8/30/2001

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher leaves Cairo on Thursday for Durban, South Africa, at the head of a high-level Egyptian delegation to take part in the third World Conference Against Racism (WCAR).

Maher highlighted the importance of the conference that would discuss racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.

Replying to diplomatic reporters' queries on Wednesday, Maher said that the conference represented a good chance to expose Israeli policies.

He said the South African port city of Durban would witness a diplomatic battle because there are attempts to undermine debates on the Israeli practices.

Maher said that there is an Arab Islamic paper to be presented to the conference, stressing the importance of halting the aggression on the Palestinian people and settling the Palestinian problem on the basis of agreements between the two sides. On Statements by UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson that the Durban conference would not endorse equating Zionism with racism, Maher, preferring not to indulge in a purely ideological controversy in this regard, made it clear that what mattered was to condemn the actual Israeli practices against the Palestinian people.

On whether there are arrangements for holding a meeting between him and Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, Maher said that he was ready to meet his Iranian counterpart if the latter was ready.

Egypt's ambassador to South Africa Na'ela Gabr said Egypt would stress anew stand on racism, development and refugees problem before the conference.

"The participating Arab foreign ministers will hold a coordination meeting on the sidelines of the Durban gathering to discuss the floated issues," said Gabr.

Previous Stories:
  Maher attends Anti-Racism Conference in Durban   (8/28/2001)
  Mubarak to hold an Arab, European tour in September   (8/27/2001)
  Maher, Hamoud and Erekat contacts   (8/21/2001)

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