Egypt lauds the Vatican's call for respect of international legitimacy

Egypt's Ambassador to the Vatican Farouk Raafat said Friday the Holy See is highly interested in President Hosni Mubarak's Tuesday visit to the Vatican.

In statements to MENA, he said the visit falls within the context of exchanged visits between him and the Pope John Paul II.

The visit reflects President Mubarak's appreciation for the Pope and his ceaseless calls for peace and stability to spread all over the world within the framework of a full respect to international legitimacy.

The visit shows clearly that the Vatican is interested in Egypt's role in the heart of the Islamic and Arab worlds. He termed as distinguished and stable Egypt-Vatican ties. The Egyptian diplomat described as balanced the stance of the Vatican regarding the Palestinian cause and said the Vatican's role is appreciated for this reason in the Arab world.