Mubarak, Gaddafi to open power linkage project

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Libyan President Muammar A1 Gaddafi will inaugurate the power linkage project between the two states. The project links Egypt's Salloum power station to Tobrouk station.

Egypt's Ambassador to Libya Hani Khalaf stressed the importance of President Hosni Mubarak's recent visit to Libya, which came just two weeks after the Amman Arab Summit where Mubarak and Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi participated.

"The visit as well came at the wake of Mubarak's important visits to Paris and Washington," he added. In an interview with the Middle East News Agency (MENA), Khalaf said that Mubarak's visit revealed that the Egyptian-Libyan viewpoints were identical as regards a number of issues, especially the latest developments in the occupied Arab lands, the necessity of providing protection for the Palestinian people and the need for activating Arab solidarity and Arab-African cooperation.

The two sides agreed on attaching special importance to the coming African summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the Egyptian diplomat added. They also agreed on holding the seventh session of the joint Egyptian-Libyan higher committee as soon as possible.

"The visit was crowned by the Libyan side issuing prompt directives to remove all the impediments facing some Egyptians working in Libya," he said. The two sides agreed on furthering cooperation in the fields of economy, electricity, health, oil and media, he noted.

The outcome of the visit was reflected on preparations for the seventh session of the joint Egyptian-Libyan higher committee, Khalaf said.

Diplomatic contacts were held between the Egyptian Embassy and general secretariat of the People's General Committee for African Unity to set a date for the convocation of the committee meetings, expected to convene in May under the two countries' premiers.