Maher to deliver a message from President Mubarak to Blair

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher visits Britain on March 19-21 to convey a verbal message from President Hosni Mubarak to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Maher was giving press statements in which he said that Mubarak has met with Blair more than once.

"Britain undertakes a substantial role in international issues in light of its membership in the European Union (EU), relations with the United States and role in the Middle East as well as the fight against terrorism," said Maher.

Maher, who will have talks during the visit with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, said that the visit will furnish a good opportunity to discuss these issues extensively until an agreement is reached over the best means for Europe and Britain to contribute, together with US efforts, to settling the Middle East problem.

On his view over the recent US calls on Israel to pull out from the Palestinian Authority territories, Maher said considering the brutal Israeli practices in the past period, one could sense an Israeli defiance of the American decision after the United States dispatched US Middle East peace envoy Anthony Zinni to the region.

Maher returned home Friday afternoon winding up a short visit to Ethiopia. Maher held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Seyoum Mesfin on bilateral relations which he characterized as highly important.

In Addis Ababa, Maher led the Egyptian delegation to meetings of the Organization of African Unity.