Cairo hosts Arab Summit soon

The upcoming Arab Summit and the explosive situation in occupied Palestinian lands have been the focus of a four-hour expanded meeting held on Monday under President Hosni Mubarak.

"Mubarak examined the issue of the Arab summit in light of the Arab contacts in the past few days and the almost-unanimous Arab acceptance to hold the summit at this particular and important timing," Minister of Information Safwat El-Sherif said.

President Mubarak is keen on consulting with Arab leaders in advance of the summit to examine the situation and to consult on ways of dealing with the developments as they unfold," El-Sherif added.

"President Mubarak received a telephone call this morning from Moroccan King Mohammed VI and made other telephone contacts, during the Cabinet meeting, with Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah Ibn Abdel Aziz, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Algerian President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika," El-Sherif said.

"They examined during these contacts, developments on Palestinian Land and the holding of the Arab Summit and all Arab leaders affirmed the importance of holding it at this timing," he added.

Mubarak also examined a report on the latest situation in the occupied Palestinian lands in the light of a meeting he held with Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat," El-Sherif said.

"President Mubarak also briefed cabinet members on the results of his contacts with US President Bill Clinton, the latest being on Sunday on coordination to contain the situation that is worsening every day," El-Sherif said.

Mubarak also discussed his contacts with French President Jacques Chirac and a telephone call he has received from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan," he added.

"The President also spoke of his contacts with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and a message he received from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak," El-Sherif said.

"The cabinet meeting further examined the vote at the UN Security Council denouncing the excessive use of force against Palestinians," he added.

El-Sherif pointed out that President Mubarak stressed the gravity of the situation and the acts of flagrant aggression inflicted on the defenseless Palestinian by the Israeli military machine.

"The President called on urgent moves to stop the fire and the shooting of civilians and salvage the peace process from the shattering blow it has received," El-Sherif added.

"President Mubarak also reviewed the efforts exerted to stop the wave of turbulence and the necessity of withdrawing Israeli troops from the Palestinian land," El-Sherif said.

"Mubarak also informed the cabinet with the Arab Leaders approval to convene the Summit sustain their consultations, and to hold the meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers to finalize the Summit agenda," El-Sherif added.

"President Mubarak asserted the importance of halting this outbreak of violence and deal with the fundamentals of the issue namely the status of Jerusalem and the Palestinian sovereignty on Al-Aqsa Al-Sharif," The minister concluded on the other side well-informed sources said that the summit is scheduled for October 21-22 in Cairo.