German president to visit Egypt at the end of February

German President Johannes Rau will visit Cairo on February 21 - 25 at the end of a tour of the area that is to include Israel and the Palestinian lands.

A press statement issued by the German embassy in Cairo said today that Rau will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss means of pushing forward the peace process in the Middle East and boosting relations between the two countries, adding that his accompanying delegation will include high-ranking officials in the foreign and economy ministries and German businessmen.

The German president's visit to Egypt is considered his first to Cairo or to any other Arab capital since he took office in May 1999.