Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will not take part in the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Canada this week due to the Middle East crisis, Egypt’s foreign minister said Sunday night.
"The present circumstances in the region will not permit the president to attend" the meeting, Ahmed Maher told a press conference.
Mubarak was invited last month to the summit, which will bring together the leaders of the Group of Seven - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan - plus Russia.
He was invited along with the leaders of four other African states - Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria - which together with Egypt are the main players in the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
NEPAD is an African initiative that calls for massive investment in the continent and for greater dedication there to democracy and good governance.
The development of Africa will be one of the central topics on the agenda at the G8 meeting set for Wednesday and Thursday in the village of Kananaskis, AFP reported.
The industrialized nations are also expected to review the Arab-Israeli conflict and plans to convene a United States-brokered Middle East peace conference. (Albawaba.com)
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