Egypt keen to rescue Mideast peace process

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher Sunday asserted Egypt's interest in rescuing the Middle East peace process that has fallen prey to Israeli policies.

"Egypt, that initiated the peace process over 20 years ago is keen on salvaging it from the demise to which the aggressive and provocative Israeli policies are steering," Maher told the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR).

Egypt held and continues to hold firm on the principles of tolerance, and throughout ancient and modern times, it has rejected discrimination, fanaticism and racism, he said.

Occupation in itself is evil, so what if it was accompanied by the killing of women, children and elderly people, destruction of houses, scooping of cultivated lands and liquidation of leaderships using hi-tech weapons that are used only in wars in addition to internationally-banned arms, Maher said.

He urged the Durban conference to include in its plan of action the tragic conditions through which the Palestinians are passing in order to achieve their independence and live in peace side by side with their neighbours.

Maher stressed that the new African initiative for development and progress, which Egypt took part in its drafting and was endorsed by Lusaka summit, is considered an appropriate framework for action in this respect.

He said Egypt's delegation is determined to continue constructive participation in such an important conference until success is achieved and the gap between viewpoints is bridged so that a new chapter will be opened to eradicate racism, fanaticism and discrimination.