French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine arrived in Cairo early Thursday on the first leg of a two-day Middle East trip aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations derailed by nearly three months of violence that has left over 300 dead, mostly Palestinians.
Vedrine, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, was due to meet Thursday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Amr Moussa.
The French minister was then to continue to Gaza for a meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, going on to Tel Aviv for talks with outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Vedrine is accompanied by Miguel Angel Moratinos, the EU's special envoy to the Middle East.
On Friday Vedrine is to hold talks with Jordanian leaders before returning to Paris -- CAIRO (AFP)
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