Successful Egyptian-French summit
Egypt-France, Politics, 3/25/2005

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak met French President Jacques Chirac in Elysee Palace yesterday on the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, Sudan, and Lebanon in addition to means to boosting Egypt-France ties.

President Chirac on Thursday asserted France's great appreciation of the special role Egypt is playing on the international arena describing the country as one of the major players in the Arab world and Africa, Elysee Palace spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said following summit talks in France yesterday between President Chirac and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

His statements came in reply to a question on Egypt's winning Arab support, during the Algiers summit, for occupying a permanent seat in any future expansion of the UN Security Council membership.

Bonnafont said Chirac asserted that Egypt's nomination for a permanent Security Council seat should be considered in line with a general drive to reform the Security Council.

President Chirac received President Mubarak as a friend and a wise leader, the spokesman said.

The Elysee Palace spokesperson said that Mubarak briefed Chirac on the main resolutions of Algiers summit and discussed with him world peace and security and the contemplated UNSC reforms. He said that Chirac told Mubarak that France supported the expansion of the UN Security Council's permanent and non-permanent membership to help the international body become a better representative of world countries and enhance its capabilities to protect global peace and security.

Bonnafont said that Mubarak-Chirac talks covered the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Egyptian and European efforts to relaunch the Mideast peace process and the situation in Iraq. He said that the two leaders held one-on-one talks that lasted for 20 minutes and then they were joined by the two countries' delegations for an open meeting that took a whole hour.

Meanwhile, President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday he assured his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad that the latter must withdraw all his forces from Lebanon ahead of the Lebanese parliamentary elections to avoid any further problems.

In his interview Thursday with the French TV Channel 3, Egyptian leader expressed belief that Assad was committed to pulling out Syrian forces and intelligence services from Lebanon.

Mubarak said he held several talks with Assad, including their talks in Algiers on Wednesday, in this respect.

President Assad is implementing UN Security Council resolution 1559 and has started to withdraw his forces from Lebanon, President Mubarak said. Assad will, within one week, set a timetable for the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from Lebanon, President Mubarak said.

President Mubarak said that when Israeli forces withdraw from the occupied territories, Arab countries would normalise their ties with Tel Aviv.

President Mubarak was commenting on the Palestinian-Israeli peace issue and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's rejection Of the Arab peace initiative adopted by the 17th Arab summit in Algiers on March 23.

When we tell the Israelis they must withdraw from Gaza, they expand their settlements elsewhere, Mubarak said.

"Things could not possibly go on like this. We have to be open with one another and make unequivocal statements. There should be no procrastinations if we want to achieve real peace.

There should be no maneuvering. The Palestinians want to restore their rights."


As for rejection by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Arab peace initiative, Mubarak said that if there was a real intention for peace, the Arab peace initiative should be carried out.

The initiative included a very important point on Arabs normalisation of relations with Israel when the latter withdraws from the occupied Arab lands, he said.

The President hinted at press reports published by the New York Times two days ago calling upon Israel to announce its withdrawal from Gaza and then announce building a new settlement in some place else. Matters can not be handled that way, said the president.

Previous Stories:
  France never hears about Egypt's secret nuclear program   (11/4/2004)
  Jerome Bonnafont: Mubarak, Chirac discuss Middle East, Iraq, Iran,   (10/14/2004)
  Egyptian French cooperation in military domains   (9/21/2004)

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