Mubarak warns against international community leniency and bias to Israel
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 1/17/2002

Egyptian President Mubarak has warned anew against the risks of the Israeli government practices, including acts of demolition,land scraping and aggression in the Palestinian territories, saying these practices will lead to more violence and much risks not only to the whole region but rather to the security and stability of the whole world.

This came during President Mubarak's meeting yesterday with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique and his accompanying delegation currently visiting Cairo within the context of a tour which also includes Jordan, Syrian, Lebanon, Israel and Palestinian self-rule areas.

Mubarak's talks with Pique come within the framework of intensive contacts and consultations held by the president at the international and European levels to contain the tension resulting from the Israeli escalating attacks against Palestinian people.

The meeting was attended on the Egyptian side by Information Minister Safwat E1 Sherif and State Minister for Foreign Fayza Abul Naga.

Present on the Spanish side were Spanish Ambassador in Pedro Lopez Aguirrebengo and members of the dele accompanying Pique.

The delegation groups the EU peace envoy Miguel Moratinos, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Niguel Nadal and Secretary General of the Spanish Foreign Ministry Javier Garrigues.

Spain is currently holding the EU rotating presidency.

President Mubarak stressed, at his meeting with Pique, the importance of maintaining an active European role that would, together with the US, play a more effective and objective role and bring pressure to bear on the two parties, Palestinian and Israelis, to apply all existing agreements, Minister of Information Safwat El Sherif told the press.

"One must not start from a vacuum with any new initiative, it would be only a waste of time, rather the Mitchell report and Tenet plan must be activated," the President said.

The President gave a detailed report on conditions in the Palestinian territories and sounded the alarm over the continued Israeli practices against Palestinians saying they would have unproportionate repercussions on the region and the stability of the world, Sherif said.

"The international community must not be a bystander to the disrespect of international legitimacy," the President said.

"The blind bias to Israel will have devastating effects on the peace process, and the Arab public opinion cannot tolerate the conditions on Palestinian lands," he added.

The President referred to the claims that Israel fabricates every now and then to block all efforts towards the resumption of the political dialogue, the latest being the contradictory and fabricated smuggled arms shipment story.

He further said that there is no other option to dialogue, that violence will not stop unless the two sides sit at the negotiating table and that Israel must understand that its people will never live in peace and stability unless a Palestinian state is established.

On his part the Spanish Foreign Minister said his talks with the President lasted for one hour and dealt with the Middle East conflict, horizons of cooperation between Egypt and EU in the framework of Barcelona process.

He said that the Spanish delegation reiterated EU involvement in the peace process and expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation.

The meeting reviewed EU priorities in Barcelona process the Spanish Minister said adding the delegation submitted some ideas for reactivating this process.

He underlined the need for completing partnership agreements in order to foster cooperation in the field of combating terrorism.

Previous Stories:
  A disaster could take place in the region because of Israel's practices against Palestinians   (1/16/2002)
  Israel has started the violence and worked on escalating it   (1/16/2002)
  Baz denies Egyptians were aboard arms ship   (1/10/2002)

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