Sept.  25, 2001

President Mubarak and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held a press conference today in Berlin where they stressed the importance of exerting serious efforts to solve the ME conflict.

    In the press conference held after his talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Mubarak said that Egypt was ready to cooperate with the US in its battle against terrorism, noting that Egyptians had experienced the bitter taste of terrorist attacks.

    But the Egyptian leader also said only peace in the Middle East could bring about a lasting solution to global terrorism.

    "We support the United States in fighting terrorism because we've also been targeted by terrorist attacks," Mubarak told a joint news conference with Chancellor Schroeder.

    "But without solving the Palestinian problem with US and European help we will see a new generation of terrorists threatening world security. It's a breeding ground for terrorism. No state will be able to protect itself," he said. 

    "The Middle East and what is happening with the Palestinian situation is set to increase terror," Mubarak said.

    "Dealing with war is easier than dealing with terrorism. There is no doubt that the next measures must relate to the Middle East," Mubarak said.

    Schroeder said German support for the United States was "unreserved" and he agreed that finding peace in the Middle East was vital.

    Mubarak also repeated his call for an international anti-terror conference, saying that he had called for such a conference long before the events of September 11.

    The Egyptian leader has suggested that such a convention, possibly within a United Nations framework, could be the basis for sanctions against countries seen as harbouring "terrorists".

    However, Mubarak described the idea of forging an international alliance against terrorism as 'very sensitive.'