Syria’s Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Sunday discussed how Mubarak's United States trip might help Arab-Israeli peace prospects, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said.
Khaddam delivered Mubarak a message from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with regards to the, "Middle East situation and hopes the Syrians had for Mubarak's visit to Washington to advance the peace process," Maher told journalists after he sat in on the meeting.
The message emphasizes Damascus’, "appreciation for the role undertaken by Egypt to lead the region toward stability on the basis of a settlement of the Palestinian and the Middle East problems within the context of international legitimacy," he said.
Mubarak will meet President Bush on June 7-8 in Camp David.
"Mr. Khaddam's visit to Egypt comes in the context of continuous consultations between the two (Syrian and Egyptian) presidents," he conveyed, according to AFP. Khaddam left Cairo for Damascus following his talks with Egyptian officials, sources at the airport said.
Meanwhile, Assad also held telephone talks with Mubarak Saturday evening, the official Egyptian daily Al-Akhbar reported.
The two leaders, "exchanged views on the efforts and contacts being made by the parties concerned with the peace process" in the Middle East, the paper explained. Besides Maher, Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebeid also participated in the discussions. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
