North and south

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ON A TWO-leg European tour, President Hosni Mubarak this week is trying to promote business with and investment in Egypt. Mubarak arrived Monday in Athens for talks with a heavy trade and investment focus. Along with his talks with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias, Mubarak and his accompanying economic aides also received a group of Greek entrepreneurs. According to presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad, Mubarak's meetings with the representatives of the business community in Greece provided an opportunity for the president to share information "about indicators of improving the business and investment climate in Egypt."

During a joint press conference in Athens Monday evening, Mubarak and Papoulias expressed strong commitment to advance the two countries' bilateral economic cooperation. Egypt and Greece, the two heads of states affirmed, enjoy good political relations that could be built on to enhance wider collaboration.

Mubarak's visit to Greece was the first in over two decades.

Meanwhile, on Saturday in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, Mubarak is expected to pass on the presidency of the African-European Union summit which he has held since the convocation of the Cairo summit in April 2000, the first such summit.

The 2000 summit adopted a package of resolutions promoting business and economic trade between Africa and the European countries with the objective of promoting African development to minimise the heavy flow of African immigrants to Europe in search of job opportunities and better living standards.

According to Awwad's statements prior to the presidential trip, Mubarak's two-day meetings in the Portuguese capital with many a European and African leader will provide an opportunity for the president to further engage a wider audience from the north and south to do business with Egypt.

Yesterday in Sharm El-Sheikh the foreign ministers of Africa and the European Union met to prepare for the Lisbon summit.

Along with economic cooperation, the African-European Union Summit gives the opportunity to explore options for political and cultural cooperation which were subject to considerable resolutions in the 2000 summit but little implementation.