Arab Ministerial Committee to study current Arab issues, Gaddafi's proposals

Egyptian-Libyan relations are "excellent and strong," said Foreign Minister Ahmad Maher in statements on his arrival in Tripoli late Monday.

Maher said that he will convey a message from President Hosni Mubarak to Leader of the Libyan Revolution Muammar Gaddafi.

He said he was happy with his first visit to Libya as Egypt's Foreign Minister.

The top Egyptian diplomat, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah El-Khatib and Sudanese Foreign Minister Moustafa Osman Ismail arrived in Tripoli yesterday on a two day visit to Libya.

They will attend the first meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee in charge of studying the ideas and proposals floated by Gaddafi during the latest Amman Arab Summit.

Maher described Gaddafi's speech at the summit as a call for a new approach in handling inter-Arab relations.

"The Arab ministers will also tackle all issues on the regional track as well as future of the Arab nation," Maher said.

"The Egyptian-Libyan initiative on Sudanese reconciliation will figure high on the agenda of the meeting," he added.

Furthermore, Ismail asserted the importance of the ideas tabled by Gaddafi during the first regular Arab summit in Amman.

In statements on his arrival to Tripoli late Monday, Ismail said the ideas came at a time of a worldwide globalization and economic blocks.

"Gaddafi proposed a number of ideas on the Arab-Israeli conflict stipulating a collective Arab recognition of Israel, if all Palestinian legitimate rights are restored, or collective confrontation with the Jewish state if they are not," he said.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah El-Khatib and Ismail arrived in Tripoli yesterday on a two-day visit to Libya.

They will attend the first meeting of the Arab ministerial committee in charge of studying the ideas and proposals floated by Gaddafi during the latest Amman Arab summit.