EGYPT: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK HAS MET WITH GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER
Record ID:
442999
EGYPT: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK HAS MET WITH GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER
- Title: EGYPT: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK HAS MET WITH GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER
- Date: 25th January 2002
- Summary: (U3) CAIRO, EGYPT (JANUARY 25, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF POLICE ACADEMY 0.03 2. SLV/MCU PHOTO-OP OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER (4 SHOTS) 0.18 3. MCU CAMERAMAN 0.23 4. MCU (English) EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED MAHER SAYING: "We appreciate the role of Germany individually and the role of Germany in Europe. In order to facilitate the reaching of a peaceful and just solution for the Middle East. There was a discussion also of bilateral relation, as you know there is no problem in our bilateral relation so it was probably the most agreeable part of the conversation. Once again we are very happy to receive Joschka Fischer in Cairo." PAN TO MCU GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER SAYING (ENGLISH): "Only a few words, because my friend Ahmed Maher has explained the talks. Of course we are very concerned about the serious situation in the Iraq crisis. We had a very detailed and fruitful discussion with the president and that resolution 1441 must be implemmented and therefore the inspectors on the ground are very important. We are looking forward for the report of Hans Blix and we will combine all our efforts with the neighbour states with Arab states with our European friends and international friends to find a peaceful solution but the situation is very serious. Iraq must disarm. This is the message of 1441. We also talked about the Middle East process. We hope that we can move forward with the road map of the quartet. This is an excellent proposal and we appreciate also the initiative of the Egyptian government to move forward with the peace process." 2.13 5. MCU (English) EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED MAHER SAYING: "As long as there are people with good will trying to find a peaceful solution I think they have a good chance of succeeding. The desire of the whole world is to find a peaceful solution. Nobody would go to war lightly or with pleasure. So I believe that there is always a chance to avoid war. We are trying to enhance this chance and our co-operation, with our friends in Germany, in France, in Europe, in the United States also, is a way to make war evitable." 2.48 6. MCU (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER SAYING APPROXIMATELY WHAT HE SAID PREVIOUSLY IN ENGLISH (APPROXIMATE TRANSLATION): "Iraq has to comply with the U.N. resolution. Full co-operation with inspectors is necessary not to lose a chance for a peaceful solution. Solving the conflict is in the interest of everybody including Western states, Arab states and European states. This is what the U.N. resolution is aimed at and what we should all work to achieve." 3.51 7. SV/SLV FISCHER GETS INTO CAR/CAR DRIVING AWAY (2 SHOTS) 4.05 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th February 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Reuters ID: LVACV312FODLAT540C5Q1Q9AWI4P
- Story Text: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has met with German
Foreign minister Joschka Fischer to discuss the Iraqi crisis.
Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Egyptian
President Hosni Mubark met on Saturday (January 25) and agreed
that Iraq must comply with key United Nations (U.N.) Security
Council resolutions on disarmament to avoid the grave prospect
of war.
A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted on November 8
gave Iraq a last chance to come clean on its weapons
programmes or face serious consequences.
Fischer and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher both
believe that the most important contribution to a peaceful
solution is for Iraq to comply with the resolution.
Fischer, who has angrily rejected United States (U.S.)
criticism that Germany and France are isolated in Europe in
their efforts to avoid war, said such a conflict would create
tremendous risks of instability everywhere in the region.
"Of course we are very concerned about the serious
situation in the Iraq crisis. We had a very detailed and
fruitful discussion with the president and that resolution
1441 must be implemented fully by the Iraq government. It
means Iraq must disarm and therefore the inspectors on the
ground are very important. We are looking forward for the
report of Hans Blix and we will combine all our efforts with
the neighbour states with Arab states with our European
friends and international friends to find a peaceful solution
but the situation is very serious. Iraq must disarm. This is
the message of 1441. We also talked about the Middle East
process. We hope that we can move forward with the road map of
the quartet. This is an excellent proposal and we appreciate
also the initiative of the Egyptian government to move forward
with the peace process," Fischer told members of the media
after the meeting.
Fischer is on a regional tour that has already taken him
to Turkey and is due to continue to Jordan for talks with
Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu al-Ragheb.
After meeting in Istanbul on Thursday (January 23), the
foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Iran
and Egypt urged Iraq to avert war by obeying U.N. disarmament
demands and said it was up to the U.N. Security Council to
judge Iraqi compliance.
Fischer is due to brief fellow European Union (EU) foreign
ministers on Monday (January 27) about his tour to the region.
jm/jg
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