- Title: EGYPT: French foreign minister discusses regional issues with Egyptian officials
- Date: 12th October 2008
- Summary: (BN10) CAIRO, EGYPT (OCTOBER 11) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE VARIOUS OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK IN MEETING WITH FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD KOUCHNER KOUCHNER ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM WITH EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AHMED ABOUL GHEIT JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER BERNARD KOUCHNER, S
- Embargoed: 27th October 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA91HF2SDI7482UO9IULEHUC5YW
- Story Text: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Egyptian officials discuss a proposed Arab-Israeli peace conference set to take place in Egypt next month.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Egyptian officials on Saturday (October 11) discussed a proposed Arab-Israeli peace conference set to take place in Egypt next month.
Kouchner's trip to Cairo, during which he met with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak as well as the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, follows a trip to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this week.
Saturday's talks focused on the Middle East peace process and other regional issues, including the conflict in Afghanistan.
Kouchner said that France and other NATO allies may be starting to rethink diplomatic policies in Afghanistan, specifically concerning new efforts to reach out to the Taliban for talks. He indicated that force alone would not work in Afghanistan.
"In parallel, we are continuing to discuss what strategy to apply, which cannot be a solely military strategy, by the European countries, twenty five of whom are participating in the coalition," Kouchner said.
Kouchner's trip to Egypt comes just one week after he met with senior Israeli and Palestinian officials. Last week, Kouchner said he feared the world might forget the Middle East peace process while distracted by the U.S.
election, a government change in Israel, and tension with Iran.
Today, he said, Europe remained strongly committed to the two state solution.
"Yes it is a shared role, and we also took part in the Annapolis meeting, not only were we at the Annapolis conference hoping to establish a Palestinian state, and we hope it will be established, and it is vital that a Palestinian state be created - and just after that we also held a conference in Paris," said Kouchner.
Speaking at the same press conference, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Egypt intends to host a follow up to the peace conference held in Annapolis last year.
"We had a meeting in New York, there will be a meeting in November, in Egypt, with the International Quartet with the parties to the conflict, and we hope that there will be strong and real European participation and that they take positions that push forward the peace process," said Gheit.
Many Palestinians and Israelis believe that the it is unlikley that a peace deal will be reached by the end of 2008, the target set for a final peace agreement by US President George W. Bush.
Aboul Gheit also said that he and Kouchner had discussed European proposals to expand membership of the UN Security Council and the G8 to include developing countries such as Egypt.
"These are all issues that confirm that there are European parties that are strong and influential in the context of the G8 and in the context of the European Union that are speaking with Egypt, which is considered strong and capable, to join this group from amongst the emerging economies, and the main countries that advancing towards this role," Gheit said.
Aboul Gheit also said that the French Foreign Minister had discussed the Iranian nuclear program with his Egyptian hosts. Earlier this week Kouchner inadvertently made headlines during his trip for Israel when he was misquoted as saying that Israel would "eat" Iran before it developed nuclear weapons.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is scheduled to make a state visit to France later this month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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