Burns in Cairo

The US Under Secretary of State For Middle East Affairs, William Burns, arrived yesterday in Cairo from Paris on a two day visit marking the beginning of a tour in the Middle East. He will be discussing the Palestinian and Iraqi files, as well as to prepare for the forthcoming visit to be paid by the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to the USA during the coming months.

During his visit to Cairo Burns will be meeting today with the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, and with the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Maher. A source at the Egyptian foreign ministry said that Maher and Burns talks will be "concentrated on the developments of conditions in the Middle East especially the Palestinian and Israeli track, and the intensive Egyptian contacts with sides concerned in the region or in the Quartet to reactivate the peace process and work for the implementation of the Roadmap." The two officials will also discuss "the latest developments of the situation in Iraq."