Meeting tomorrow in Cairo in preparation for the international conference on Iraq

The Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit announced yesterday that the ambassadors of countries taking part in the international conference on Iraq in Egypt, will meet tomorrow in order to prepare for the meeting due on November 22 and 23 in Sharm Esh Sheikh.

Abu al-Gheit said that "this conference will be held at the foreign ministry on Sunday at the ministerial level and the representatives of countries and sides invited to take part in the Sharm Esh Sheikh conference on Iraq.. And this is to hand them over the preliminary text of the final declaration draft expected to be issued by the conference." He indicated that during the meeting " official invitations on the conference will be handed over."

Abu al-Gheit added that "Egypt during the next phase will receive the view points of sides invited on this preliminary formulation in order to reach an amended formula and continue consultations and contacts until unanimous understanding to this effect."

Meantime, Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has said the conference will discuss among other issues the Iraqi borders. In statements carried by Al Arabiya news channel yesterday, he said Iraq will ask its neighbors to monitor and secure those borders until Iraqi security forces can do that.