 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 29 July - 4 August 1999 Issue No. 440 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 29 July - 4 August 1999 Issue No. 440
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Loss of a 'dear friend'
By Nevine Khalil
President Hosni Mubarak and the late King Hassan II were linked by many strong ties, particularly their shared vision of Middle East peace. Morocco and the Gulf state of Oman were the only two Arab countries which did not officially sever ties with Egypt when it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
The last meeting between the two leaders took place in June, when the Egyptian president initiated a mediation effort to normalise relations between Rabat and Algiers. The two leaders also chaired the joint Egyptian-Moroccan committee aimed at boosting trade and economic cooperation between the two countries. This is the only joint committee between Egypt and any other Arab country which is chaired by the heads of state.
Like all Arab countries, Egypt announced a three-day mourning period following Hassan's death. The Egyptian flag was put at half mast throughout the country, and President Mubarak had to postpone until today a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak which had been due to take place on Sunday.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mubarak conveyed his condolences and those of the Egyptian people at the loss of the Moroccan king. In his message of condolence, Mubarak said he had "received with much sorrow and grief" the news of King Hassan's death "after an eventful life dedicated to the service of our Moroccan brothers, and in defence of the rights of the Arab and Islamic nations."
The presidential statement noted that King Hassan's death "comes at a critical time, and is a great loss for his people and nation. He realised great achievements for his country, winning the respect and appreciation of the world." King Hassan had "tangible influence and a prominent role in pan-Arab cooperation and the efforts of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)," the statement noted.
Mubarak said he "feels great sorrow for the loss of a brother, a dear friend and companion on the road of struggle for Arab and Islamic causes."
"Egypt will always remember him as a distinguished statesmen who was keen on building bridges of cooperation and solidarity with Egypt," the statement said.
The royal funeral gave Mubarak an opportunity to meet with a number of attending dignitaries, including US President Bill Clinton, France's Jacques Chirac, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Israeli President Ezer Weizman, and Israeli Minister for Regional Relations Shimon Peres to discuss briefly the next moves in the peace process.
King Hassan's role in the peace process, in his capacity as chairman of the OIC's Jerusalem Committee, will be sorely missed when final status negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis begin. Many Arab Jews in Israel are of Moroccan origin, including Foreign Minister David Levy, and Morocco is the only Arab country which allowed its Jewish population to retain their citizenship as Moroccans when they emigrated to Israel.
