Jospin to visit Egypt in May

A well-informed source in Paris told the London-based al-Hayat daily that French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin will hold an official visit to Egypt on May 2, the first visit for the Socialist official to a country in the Middle East since he assumed office more than one year ago.

Jospin's circles pin special significance on the visit, as Egypt is regarded as a main partner for France on the political level.

The sources indicate that Jospin has chosen for his visit to be confined to Egypt rather than being part of a tour of the Middle East, due to the difficulty of organizing such a tour, politically speaking, as well as in his intention not to stay long outside France, where internal problems await him.