Egypt keen on maintaining Sudanese unity
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Wednesday evening received a message from President Hosni Mubarak during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher.
Maher, who Wednesday started a two-day visit to Sudan, said that the message dealt with means of boosting Egyptian-Sudanese relations.
Later Maher held a closed-door meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Moustafa Othman and Libya's Secretary-General of the Popular committee for African Unity Abdel Salam al-Tiriki. Sudan's Presidential Advisor Ghazi Salah Eddin attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, al-Bashir conferred with Chief of the Arab League Amr Moussa. Emerging from the meeting, Moussa said they had discussed peace plans for Sudan and the Arab scene.
He added that he had conveyed a message from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz to al-Bashir. Moussa had made a brief visit to Saudi Arabia yesterday.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher arrived in Khartoum Wednesday carrying a verbal message from President Hosni Mubarak to President Omar al-Bashir of a friendly content.
In statements in Khartoum airport, Maher said he is visiting Sudan for a couple of days upon an invitation by his Sudanese counterpart Moustafa Othman for intensive talks with Sudanese officials.
Maher voiced pleasure over visiting Khartoum, referring to brotherly relations between Sudan and Egypt.
He asserted the importance of the IGAD summit, pointing out that he would meet with the largest number of Sudanese officials for talks on means of promoting bilateral ties.
He denied-any difficulties in coordination between the Egyptian-Libyan initiative and the IGAD initiative as they both aimed at resolving the Sudanese problem.
Asked about his meeting with leader of the Sudanese opposition National Democratic Alliance Mohamed Othman al-Merghani in Cairo, Maher said Egypt's door is open for every Sudanese. "Egypt is the home of the Sudanese as Sudan is a home for all Egyptians," he emphasized.
He underlined Egypt's clear stance regarding terrorism, adding that Egypt has suffered from it in the past.
Egypt's Ambassador to Sudan Mohamed Assem Ibrahim said that the Egyptian Minister will meet with President Bashir, First Vice President Ali Othman, Presidential Peace Adviser Ghazi Salaheddin and Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman and will hold a tripartite meeting featuring Egypt, Libya and Sudan.
"Maher will deliver Egypt's statement at the IGAD summit," he added.