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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 November 1999 Issue No. 456
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters FRENCH BACKING: France has made public its support for Egyptian efforts to promote national reconciliation in Sudan despite US criticism of the joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative. Following a meeting with Foreign Minister Amr Moussa in Cairo on Saturday, the French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said that "from the point of view of France, Egypt's interest in Sudan is legitimate and useful".
The French foreign minister added that the objectives of the Egyptian-Libyan initiative are compatible with the French position on reconciliation in Sudan.
Both Moussa and Vedrine said that they would work to promote a reconciliation. Egypt and France are members of the partners' forum of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that is working on some aspects of this reconciliation.
The joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative has been the target of US displeasure and unfavourable public remarks. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said last month that Washington only supports the efforts of IGAD and not other initiatives.
Moussa, who made a point of "containing" the significance of Albright's remarks, insisted this week that Egypt has as much interest in promoting Sudanese national reconciliation as Sudan's southern neighbours.
"Sudan's southern neighbours cannot claim the right to resolve the problem on their own -- all of Sudan's neighbours should be involved," said Moussa. He added that "Egypt has an important role and interests [in Sudan] which cannot be ignored".
Last Friday, Moussa conferred in Cairo with his Libyan counterpart Omar El-Montasser to coordinate their next move on Sudan. The two ministers suggested that they would intensify talks with the Khartoum government and the southern and northern opposition in order to speed up the pace of the preparatory work that should lead to the convention of a reconciliation conference. Both ministers asserted their intention to work on coordinating the joint initiative with that of IGAD. The latter promotes a reconciliation between the Khartoum regime and the Southern Popular Liberation Movement/Army, but not with the northern opposition.
