A message from Lahoud to Mubarak

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on Saturday received a message from the Lebanese President Emil Lahoud including an invitation to President Mubarak to attend the next periodical Arab summit which will be held in Beirut on March 27 and 28.

The message was handed over by the Lebanese foreign minister Mahmoud Hammoud during his meeting with President Mubarak on Saturday in Cairo.

In a statement following his meeting with President Mubarak, the Lebanese foreign minister expressed his happiness to convene the summit and to abide by holding its periodically, noting that Lebanon is expecting from the Arab leaders to discuss and study what can meet the ambitions of the Arab people from ( the Gulf to the Ocean).

Hammoud continued that it pleases Lebanon to have the summit convened after it is possible through its resistance to liberate the greater part of its territories and to deter the Israeli aggression which lasted more than 25 years.

He explained that it was stressed during his meeting with Mubarak the need that the Arab summit will contribute to supporting common Arab work and commitment to Arab principles and the legitimate Arab rights.

Hammoud said:" we, in Lebanon, officials and representatives for all sectors, feel the need to preserve the Arab principles, noting that unwavering principles Lebanon commits to, foremost being the cause of Palestine and the rights of the Palestinian people and Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Arab lands, including the Golan and the Shebaa farms.

He said that his visit to Egypt falls in the course of his tour during which he visited Syria and then Saudi Arabia.