Mubarak receives Fischer

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday received German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

Fischer is on a tour of the region including the Palestinian self-rule areas and Israel to activate the Mideast peace process.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and German Ambassador to Egypt Baron Paul Von Maltzahn.

Fischer's tour follows the European Union (EU) foreign ministers meeting in the southwest Spanish city of Caceres Saturday in which they decided to dispatch a number of European foreign ministers to the Mideast to probe means of activating the peace process.

At a press conference with Maher, Fischer said that all the parties in the region and the international community need new ideas to give a shot in the arm to the Middle East peace process as the situation in the region is very dangerous.

Europe, adjacent to the Middle East region, has a direct interest in peace there through negotiations between the Arab and Israeli sides, he said.

The German Foreign Minister described the talks he held Thursday with President Mubarak as very useful and took place in a cordial atmosphere, adding he had good discussions with Mubarak.