Mubarak discusses Middle East peace with European envoy
Egypt-Regional-European Union, Politics, 11/16/1998

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Sunday received Austrian Foreign Minister and Deputy Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel, whose country is currently presiding over the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Their discussions dealt with the peace process, the situation in the Middle East in light of Schussel's tour on the region as well as developments in the current Iraqi crisis with the UN.

The two sides shared identical views concerning ME peace and crisis the region is witnessing. Following the meeting, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said, "We give great credibility to the European role in the peace process and other issues of concern to the region."

Moussa added, "Egypt and the EU find out that matters have started to proceed in a positive direction, hopefully recent developments will lead to an acceptable solution that would avert the region further deterioration."

For his part Schussel stressed that, "There will be no peace in the region without Syria." He stressed the need to resume negotiations on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

He asserted the need for European, Egyptian and Arab cooperation in order to establish just peace in the Middle East. He also stressed smiliarity of the EU and Egyptian viewpoints on the need to avoid a military solution to the Iraqi crisis and to resort to diplomatic solution.

Schussel expressed the EU's satisfaction over defusing the Turkish-Syrian crisis and voiced appreciation for the efforts made by President Mubarak in this respect. He underlined the importance of dialogue and achieving stability because the region "can no more have new beds of tension nor further disputes."

Present at the meeting were Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, the EU peace process envoy Miguel Moratinos and Austria's ambassador in Damascus.

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