EGYPT: UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

Record ID: 560447

  • Title: EGYPT: UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
  • Date: 14th January 2009
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JANUARY 14, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PHOTO OP OF UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK EXTERIOR OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MIGUEL MORATINOS MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MIGUEL MORATINOS, SAYING: "My statement in Damascus yesterday - I was encouraged by the commitment I consider I got from President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian authorities to help and to assist the Egyptian initiative. And I hope that with the efforts and goodwill of all partners and parties we can achieve this ceasefire." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MIGUEL MORATINOS, SAYING: "We you know the most important now is the ceasefire and the day after the ceasefire of course it is being discussed among all the parties involved. But what we want is to reinforce the Palestinian authority and to reinforce you know the calm, the stability and the prosperity of the Gaza citizens. That's the reason to call for a reconstruction conference in Gaza then that will be you know the best answer we can give to the people of Gaza." NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Reuters ID: LVA6L9NK5PL1XA9JVPEFFEVK8DL1
  • Story Text: UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon began a tour of the Middle East on Wednesday (January 14) aimed at securing an end to the Gaza conflict.
    Ban met with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, and will travel on to Israel later on Wednesday.
    Later, Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos commended what he said were discreet Syrian efforts to help end the Gaza conflict.
    After travelling to Syria yesterday, Moratinos visited Cairo for the second time in one week as part of a diplomatic push to achieve a ceasefire to end Israel's 19 day assault on Gaza, which has killed nearly 1,000 Palestinians, including at least 400 women and children.
    Moratinos told reporters today that President Bashar al-Assad had committed Syria to helping the Egyptian plan, which is implement the UN Security Council's ceasefire call.
    "My statement in Damascus yesterday - I was encouraged by the commitment I consider I got from President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian authorities to help and to assist the Egyptian initiative. And I hope that with the efforts and goodwill of all partners and parties we can achieve this ceasefire," he said.
    The Spanish Foreign Minister also lent his support to an Egyptian call for a reconstruction conference to help Gaza rebuild after the conflict ends.
    "We you know the most important now is the ceasefire and the day after the ceasefire of course it is being discussed among all the parties involved. But what we want is to reinforce the Palestinian authority and to reinforce you know the calm, the stability and the prosperity of the Gaza citizens. That's the reason to call for a reconstruction conference in Gaza then that will be you know the best answer we can give to the people of Gaza," he said.
    Israeli troops edged closer to the heart of Gaza City on Wednesday morning and international organisations expressed growing concern about the plight of children trapped in the offensive.
    Israel has rejected the Security Council resolution and Hamas has said it is studying the plan.
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