STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT: Fayza Abul-Naga, the state minister for foreign affairs and minister for international cooperation, briefed President Hosni Mubarak this week about her just-completed working tour of Japan and the US. In Tokyo, Abul-Naga discussed Japanese investment in a number of infrastructure, trade and services projects in Egypt. Talk of development also topped Abul-Naga's agenda in Washington, where she met with US and World Bank officials. Mubarak also met with Nabil Fahmy, Egypt's ambassador to Washington, on Tuesday.
Cairo is working to prevent unilateral US military strikes against Iraq, urging that this should only take place under the umbrella of the UN. "Egypt is making every effort to persuade the US and other countries of the need to work within the framework of the UN Security Council," said Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher on Monday, "and not take unilateral decisions which could raise tension and endanger everybody's interests."
Mubarak's chief political adviser Osama El-Baz said that Cairo seeks the influence of "friendly" countries in this endeavour. "Arab states cannot stop America from launching a war against Iraq, but they can, with the help of friendly states like Russia and China, or countries with influence over the US such as Britain, undertake diplomatic and political efforts to prevent a recourse to force," said El-Baz.
