President Hosni Mubarak said that since the present Israeli government assumed office, the Middle East peace process has reached a dangerous impasse.

    In an interview with Russian newspaper Nezavysimaya Gazeta, published Saturday, President Mubarak called on Israel to realise that war has never ended a conflict or dispute.

    The President added that it is necessary to bring the situation back to normal as it was before Al Aqsa Initifada and to resume peace negotiations.

    Mubarak said that all parties concered with settling the Arab-Israeli conflict ought to realise that there is no substitute for peace.

    He stressed the necessity of respecting peoples' aspirations to achieve peace as an optimum strategic target to all parties as it provides security and stability.

    President Mubarak expressed the Egyptian people`s keenness on maintaining the deeply-rooted relations with the Russian people, which date back to several centuries.

    Cooperation between the two countries will remain an excellent example of creative cooperation between the two friendly peoples. On whether Egyptian-Russian relations had changed for the better over the past four years, President Mubarak said that the past years have uundoubtedly witnessed a tangible development in relations between the two countries. He added that his meeting with President Putin opens new vistas to promote bilateral ties.

    On his visualisation of the future development of Egyptian-Russian relations, President Mubarak said he wished first to stress the fact that the Egyptian people are keen on sharing strong relations and fruitful cooperation with the Russian people.

    He referred to the development of bilateral ties in the second half of the 20th century in various fields. "The two countries signed several agreements on cooperation in economic, technical, scientific, techological, security, transport, and investment protection fields," he said.

    The President further voiced hope for activating and boosting this cooperation in the future especially in the economic domains for the interest of the two peoples.

    On the chances for an Arab-Israeli peace with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in power, and steps Egypt intends to take to activate the peace process, Mubarak said that all parties concerned had to realize that there was no substitute for peace and should respect the peoples` desire towards its realization. "Peace is the strategic option to all parties, the Arab countries have declared so at the Cairo Summit of October 2000,and peace should be Israel`s strategic option too," he told Nezavysimaya Gazeta.

    "Peace creates the proper atmosphere to enable the people to lead a normal life and provides them with stability and security,"he said. "When Arab countries chose the way of peace, they did so on the basis that Israel was committed to the same goal according to the principles of international legitimacy to realize a just, full and lasting peace," he added. "Egypt held and continues to hold on the principle that peace is inevitable," he said.

    The President affirmed that the Palestinian problem is the cornerstone for realizing a comprehensive and just peace in the region.

    "However, ever since the new Israeli government came to power,the peace process has been facing a serious crisis, threatening it with collapse," he added. "Innocent Palestinians are being terrorized, their villages and homes shelled, their lands confiscated, the status of the city of Jerusalem is being transformed outside the framework of negotiations and excessive force is used to fight an unarmed population," he said.

    Israeli leaders must understand that war will not end a conflict, that matters must return to the pre-September 28 period before the start of the Intifida and efforts had to be geared towards the resumption of negotiations," he added. "The peace process is now facing a difficult situation, that requires all parties concerned with the peace process to take action and give it serious interest because the stability and security of this region can positively or negatively affect the global stability and security," he said.

    "Russia, a peace sponsor according to the principles of Madrid,has to play a more effective role in coordination with the US and the EU to enhance the peace process on the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese tracks, "President Mubarak said.

    "International efforts must be concerted with the Russian, American and European roles to support all endeavours towards the realization of peace and stability for the nations of the region," he added.

    "One of the main aims for my meeting with President Putin was to exchange views and present all facts clearly and objectively on the developments in the region. I am confident that Russia adopts the stances that affirm international legitimacy and support the legitimate rights".

    President Mubarak said that Egypt has achieved many accomplishments over the past years and that his sole aim is the good of the citizens.

    The President said that Egypt started the economic reform march over the last two decades according to systematic and phased plans. "Our steps have been studied and calculated and we managed to surmount the most difficult stages without any social shocks," the President added.

    Mubarak said that the Egyptian experience was mainly characterized by maintaining the momentum of social growth and achieving economic development and reform.

    President Mubarak said that Egypt`s accomplishments have been achieved according to five-year plans within an overall plan that started in 1982 and is to end in 2017. The President said that a number of national mega projects fall within the plan, adding that these giant projects include Toshka,Sharq Al Owainat, El-Salam Canal and Sharq El-Tafriea as well as the industrial zone in northeast of the Gulf. "Egypt also pays a special attention to information technology," the president said.

    He added that these development fields go in line with a stable and secure atmosphere of investment through facilities,guarantees and incentives provided to Egyptian and foreign investors.

    President Mubarak said that Egypt`s main objective is merging with the world economic system, competing under globalization economy and opening new markets for the Egyptian product.