Egypt fully undertakes its Arab role

Egypt under President Hosni Mubarak is discharging its national and Arab duty in fully and has strongly responded to the silly threats by one of the ministers of Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon of bombing the High Dam, a Lebanese parliamentarian said on Friday.

In statements to an Egyptian parliamentary press delegation, head of the Information Committee at the Lebanese parliament Nasser Kandil added that Egypt was pressing the Israeli government through many international contacts to halt its aggression on Palestinians. Egypt is the Arab nation's shield, he said, referring to the visit to Lebanon last year by President Mubarak.

The visit was a turning point in the Arab position regarding Lebanon and the way it was facing Israel, he said.

He added that the visit was the most important political event in Lebanon in the year 2000.

He added that Mubarak was the architect of the idea of setting up an Arab common market at this stage. Egypt's economic and human weight is an essential element in forming an economic grouping that can face the challenges of globalization, he said.