Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak embarks Tuesday on a European tour, which will take him to Italy and Germany for talks that will focus on the Palestinian crisis, said Al Ahram daily.
During his visit to Rome, the Egyptian president will hold talks with his counterpart, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The paper said that Mubarak would discuss with the Italian officials sending observers to the occupied Palestinian territories, a demand that won the backing of the Group of Eight (G8) leaders who concluded their meetings in Genoa on Sunday.
Following his visit to Italy, Mubarak will visit Germany on a private visit of several days, the paper said.
The Egyptian leader made a 24-hour visit to Germany in April.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher will meanwhile leave Cairo Tuesday for France before travelling on to Italy to discuss the Middle East crisis and other issues, AFP said.
Maher will meet his French counterpart, Hubert Vedrine, and his Italian counterpart, Renato Ruggiero, with the aim of "activating bilateral relations and studying international political issues of common interest."
Maher and Mubarak were expected to be in Italy at the same time, though Maher's itinerary has not been disclosed.
Foreign ministers from Egypt and other Arab countries met in Cairo last Wednesday and renewed a longstanding call for outside observers -- which they promptly sent to a meeting of G8 foreign ministers in Italy.
Leaders of the G8 then issued a call Saturday for the deployment of international monitors in the Middle East, saying there was a need for "immediate action" to end 10 months of fighting – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
