Mubarak receives message from Bashir

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak received early Wednesday a message from Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir on the latest developments in Sudan. The message was conveyed by Sudanese Foreign Minister Mostafa Othman during a meeting with President Mubarak on Wednesday.

In statements following the meeting, Ismail said he informed President Mubarak that the Sudanese government is keen on hammering out a peaceful settlement for the southern issue in order to reach reconciliation in the country.

"IGAD summit, held in Nairobi on June 2, discussed peace in the south and there was a ceasefire proposal," said Othman.

Othman expected that Egypt will have an important role in the coming stage to push for peace and reach reconciliation.

The Joint Higher Committee will meet at the end of this month under the co-chairmanship of Prime Minister Atef Ebeid and the Sudanese First Vice-President.

Othman stressed Sudan's interest in integration with Egypt in all domains, especially that the leaderships in the two countries are earnestly working for that.

Concerning the Egyptian-Libyan initiative, Othman said the issue needs a kind of compromise between the opposition and the government.

He ruled out that Khartoum has any objection to any proposals that might be added by the other side (the opposition).

"We hope the meetings to be held in Cairo by the end of June would activate the initiative," said Othman, emphasizing that his government will abide by the resolutions to be churned out.

Othman noted that Khartoum is ready to share the oil wealth equally with the south and likewise for all other resources.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Wednesday underlined his government's commitment to an Egyptian-Libyan initiative on forging national reconciliation in the country.

In a lecture he gave Wednesday evening, Ismail said that there are new ideas to be presented soon at a peace council grouping the government and opposition.

"Sudan is committed to creating constructive dialogue conducive to the end of a long-running war in the south," he added.

He welcomed the US intervention in the Sudanese issue provided that Sudanese territorial integrity is maintained. However, the top Sudanese official lashed out at the US financial support to the rebels and said that they had recently received dlrs 10 million.

"One of the main obstacles facing the development of democracy in Sudan is the war in the south," said Ismail, adding that the issue has no religious dimension but rather the unfair distribution of wealth and power.

"The government of Sudan seeks a new north-south relation based on equal political, economic and religious rights in order to terminate the issue of the south," he added.

Othman said that his talks come as part of a series of meetings with Egyptian officials. Ebeid will later this month lead an Egyptian delegation to a meeting of a joint cooperation committee to be held in Khartoum.

Sudan's top diplomat highlighted the importance of Egyptian support in particular and that of the Arabs in general in all media and political fields.

President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday received US Ambassador to Egypt Daniel Kurtzer, on the occasion of the end of the latter's three-year tour of duty in Egypt. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and the minister counselor of the US Embassy in Cairo.

Kurtzer, who leaves the Egyptian capital next week to become the next US Ambassador to Israel, told the press his meeting with the president covered the latest Palestinian-Israeli developments and the diplomatic efforts of the past two days.

The cessation of violence and the implementation of the Mitchell report are now facts, as Palestinians and Israelis agreed Tuesday to the US proposals, he said.

And he briefed the President on these matters, he added. Kurtzer, expressing his high appreciation of President Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, said he was leaving Egypt at a time Egyptian-American relations are excellent and strong.