Barak in Cairo for talks with Mubarak

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak received Tuesday morning visiting former Israeli premier Ehud Barak who arrived earlier in the day for talks with a number of top Egyptian officials on recent developments in the region in the light of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements.

After Mubarak-Barak talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, Knesset members Colette Avital and Dani Yatom in addition to Barak's spokesperson and office director joined the meeting.

The talks dwelt on a number of issues including developments in Israel and the Palestinian lands in the wake of disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank due to officially kick off Wednesday and runs for three weeks.

Emerging from the meeting with President Mubarak, former Israeli premier Ehud Barak told reporters he was pleased to visit Egypt and meet with President Hosni Mubarak as Cairo is the most important Arab capital and neighbor of Israel, he said.

The former Israeli official said the current stage was a significant one in the region in the light of Gaza Strip disengagement, adding that he hoped the pullout would go as planned at minumum inter-Israeli violence, and free from Palestinian attacks.

It is a symbolic step when the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who backed settlement policy, took the decision to withdraw from Gaza Strip, he said.

Barak expressed his gratitude to President Mubarak for "backing the withdrawal plan, and deploying forces on Salah Eddin passage to stop weapons smuggling and terror attacks."