Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he was shocked over the Israeli government announcement that it had ruled out Egypt as a place for the anticipated meeting between the Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, saying that his country had never asked to play that role.
The daily Al Gomhuria quoted the president as telling the editor in chief of the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) that the issue “has never been raised by Egypt which neither sought nor asked any party to hold the meeting on its soil.”
He explained that the “Palestinians wanted to hold the meeting in Egypt and requested us to convey the message to Israel. We refused to contact the Israelis, [insisting] that both sides had to agree by themselves on where to meet.”
“These are pure fantasies and a new way which the Israelis use for circumlocution,” Mubarak concluded -- Albawaba.com
