Mubarak: Egypt will not live in isolation from the main issues of the region
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 4/25/2005

At the beginning of celebrations on the anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day, Egypt's President Mubarak Saturday gave a statement before the commanders, officers and soldiers of the second field army in Ismailia.

In his statement, Mubarak said that Egypt no longer can live in isolation from the main issues of the region, adding that Egypt has never stopped supporting the Palestinian people and their just cause.

He said that Egypt will continue to support the Palestinian cause and will sustain efforts to achieve a just and durable peace in the Middle East.

He added that Egypt is keen to fulfill the aspirations of the peoples of the region towards securing a better future.

"Sinai, the land of war and peace, carries symbols and indications that call us to look forward to achieve peace, security and stability for the rest of the Middle East countries and peoples," Mubarak said, addressing a gathering of officers and top brass of the Second Field Army in Ismailia.

"Egypt will continue its efforts in support of the Palestinian cause and the drive for stability in the Middle East through a just and comprehensive peace," he said.

President Mubarak urged regional and international parties to seize the latest chance made available by a Feb 8 summit at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to revive the Middle East peace process.

"We hope the international and regional parties will seize the chance and not waste it, like many other similar opportunities," he said.

President Mubarak said that younger generations should learn lessons from Sinai liberation, which wrapped up a back-breaking gloom of fifteen years of occupation since the June 1967 defeat.

"Egypt's youth are invited today to follow the example of this great generation that liberated Sinai by war and peace.

They are invited to keep up the achievements and gains on the road of development," he said.

"The youth of the nation are also invited now more than any time to participate in the continuous course of political, economic and social reforms," he added.

"We should remember in that great day that Sinai liberation was the result of two decisive decisions in Egypt's modern history: war and peace."

President Mubarak noted that the political leadership at that time "courageously and confidently" shouldered responsibility for the two decisions supported by the public will."

ÊÊÊ "The Sinai liberation was also the fruit of the peace initiative launched by President Sadat as it had put a new equation for the Arab-Israeli conflict and the overall situation in the Middle East," Mubarak said.

"This step also opened the door for achieving fair, comprehensive and permanent peace without giving up an inch of the Egyptian soil or Egypt's firm stances in support of the Palestinian cause," the President added.

After the sudden death of President Sadat, Mubarak said, there were doubts in the future of stability in Egypt and there were bargains to link the completion of Sinai withdrawal with approval to give up Taba.

"Choices were hard and the timing was critical" the President mused, but my decision, since taking office, was rejecting any bargaining on Taba and sticking to Egypt's sovereignty over the soil of Sinai," he said.

"And as we won the battle of war and peace, we have the honour to raise the Egyptian flag over Taba after marathon political and legal negotiations that lasted until 1989."

ÊSinai liberation, the President noted, opened the door as well for a new stage in Egypt's history that saw a similar liberaton of political life and the national economy along with a confrontation to threats posed by terrorism and extremism on the nation's stability.

Previous Stories:
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