German President hails Egypt's role in the region

German President Johannes Rau lauded Saturday the role played by Egypt in pushing forward the Middle East peacemaking drive.

In an interview with Cairo Radio on the occasion of his visit to Cairo, due Monday, Rau said the visit aims at promoting bilateral relations and cooperation.

The German President expressed happiness over meeting President Hosni Mubarak. Rau voiced hope that his visit would effectively inspire new German investments in Egypt.