 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 June 2000 Issue No. 485 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 June 2000 Issue No. 485
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Talking peace and prosperity
By Nevine KhalilPresident Hosni Mubarak has been hard at work this week ensuring that his country maintains the economic prosperity that is conducive to peace and stability.
Following a two-day conference held in Cairo that brought together Damascus Declaration countries, the chief diplomats of Syria and the six Gulf Cooperation Council states met with Mubarak on Monday to brief him on the outcome of their discussions. Their agenda included a wide range of issues relevant to regional security and economic cooperation.
"We discussed the content of our final statement regarding holding an Arab summit, a summit-level gathering of Damascus Declaration countries and economic cooperation," Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said. The ministers also appraised the status of the peace process and conditions in Iraq.
The Damascus Declaration was signed in 1991 after the second Gulf war to foster political, economic and military cooperation between its members who are the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt and Syria. During their meeting in Cairo this week, the foreign ministers sought to activate the economic track of this group, which along with security aspects were put on the back burner so far.
On the sidelines of this conference, the president held separate talks with the secretary-general of the GCC and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Sharaa who relayed a message from President Hafez Al-Assad regarding Arab solidarity and Damascus' stance on the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
"UN Security Council resolutions should not be pick-and-choose, allowing Israel to apply Resolution 425 [on the withdrawal from Lebanon] and ignore Resolutions 242 and 338," Al-Sharaa told reporters. Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967 called for an Israeli withdrawal from "territories occupied in the recent conflict," while 338 of 1973 called for 242 to be implemented. Al-Sharaa noted that the region is "at a crossroads" and that peace cannot be achieved "without Israel's complete withdrawal" from all Arab territories. Al-Sharaa was scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Cairo yesterday, on her tour of the region which took her to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's special envoy was also in Cairo on Monday for talks with Mubarak. Michel Levy expressed his government's position that the Syrian-Israeli negotiations are a "very difficult track" of the remaining peace tracks, but "no door must be closed." Levy, who traveled to Syria and Israel in November on behalf of Blair, furthered that he hopes "at some stage in the future, perhaps talks may be able to resume again." Although the peace process was a main item on the agenda of talks between the president and the British envoy, bilateral relations were also discussed. Levy, whose country is the number one foreign investor in Egypt, reviewed ways of boosting bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Mubarak with Damascus Declaration foreign ministers last Monday
photo: Abdel-Sattar Youssef
Egyptian-US economic ties were at the centre of talks a day earlier between Mubarak and a nine-member congressional delegation led by Thomas Bliley. Bliley, who is the chairman of the House Commerce Committee, said the delegation will work with Secretary of Commerce William Daley to conclude a free trade agreement with Egypt soon.
Cooperation on a multilateral scale between the European Union and Egypt was the main topic of discourse between Mubarak and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Sunday. Discussions dealt with the Euro-Mediterranean partnership aiming to cement trade relations, which Egypt is currently preparing to sign.
"We discussed the signing of the trade agreement and its important role in increasing private investment," said Fischer, whose country promised more investment and trade as soon as Cairo signs the partnership agreement. The EU proposed a $1 billion financial package over 10 years to help Egypt's industry adapt to the competition it will face as it eventually opens its markets to European goods. The European bloc is Egypt's main trading partner, accounting for at least 40 per cent of foreign trade.
Increasing trade and investments between Egypt and Germany were on the agenda as well, and will be developed further during Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder's scheduled visit to Egypt next October. Germany is the second largest exporter to Egypt, and ranks seventh among countries importing Egyptian goods.
Fischer, who later travelled to Israel and Palestinian territories, said that peace in this region will open the door for prosperity and cooperation with Europe. While expressing support for the declaration of a Palestinian state "within final status talks," Fischer said that this step should not be taken "unilaterally."
