Mubarak receives Spanish Foreign Minister

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak receives today Spanish Foreign Minister Josef Pique who is currently on a visit to Egypt as part of a regional tour and carries a set of European principles in support of the Palestinians, Egypt 's ambassador to Spain Hussein EL Haridi said.

Pique looks forward to hear the Egyptian view point and exchange views with President Hosni Mubarak on how to proceed in the coming weeks to contain violence, enforce ceasefire in Palestinian lands and implement Mitchell recommendations and the Tenet plan, he told Sawt El Arab Radio.

"The Spanish Foreign Minister, whose country now chairs the rotating EU Presidency, carries with him a set of European principles and ideas that support the Palestinian right to establish an independent state and an end to the Israel; Occupation," he said.

The EU affirms that the Palestinian Authority and its leader Yasser Arafat are Israel's partners in the peace process and the EU position is more advanced in comparison to other international parties, in terms of the principles on which a just and permanent solution to the Middle East peace process rest, he added.

"This will be Piquet's first foreign tour after Madrid assumed the EU six-month presidency earlier this month," he said.

Spain is very interested in the establishment of stability, peace and security in the Middle East that is considered part of the Mediterranean, he added.