Egypt's foreign minister starts soon official visit to Washington

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher starts next Thursday a four-day visit to the United States with the aim of briefing US administration on the Egyptian standpoint regarding regional and bilateral issues.

During the visit, Maher will meet Secretary of State Colin Powell, a number of US senior officials, Congressmen and same Arab and Jewish organizations in the United States.

Maher said his visit to Washington comes in the framework of the close relations between Egypt and the United States and the need for sustained consultations between the two countries.

He said his talks with Powell would tackle bilateral political, economic, commercial and cultural relations, issues of common interest, developments of the situation in the Middle East in the light of efforts exerted by Egypt, the United States and other Arab and international parties for halting deterioration in the region, reactivating the peace process, resumption of negotiations on the bases of international legitimacy, the United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Egyptian Jordanian initiative and Mitchell report.

The Foreign Minister said the situation on the ground shows that violations of palestinian rights were still underway.

He said Tenet document should be taken as part of the political process adding that the main goal is to halt Israeli practices and to launch serious negotiations on the bases of terms of reference which are agreed upon Maher welcomed resolutions taken by the European summit towards the situation in the Middle East.

He called on Europe to maximize its role in order to take part in carrying out Mitchell recommendations.

He said European stance is positive and described the US stance is more interested in the problem and as more willing to contribute to reaching a solution.

In Washington, Egypt's ambassador to the United States Nabil Fahmy said Washington would witness in the upcoming few days intensive contacts on the Middle East saying Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nabil Shaath would visit Washington on Wednesday for explaining Palestinian stance and briefing the US administration on Israel's failure to abide by the ceasefire plan drafted by CIA Director George Tenet.