June  6, 2002

At a joint press conference with Blair:
Mubarak warns against sustained violence

     President Mubarak asserted at a press conference he held with British Prime Minister Tony Blair during a stopover in London on his way to Washington that he regrets the death of civilians on Palestinian and Israeli sides.

     This came in an answer to a question by reporters on the guerrilla operation in Israel yesterday.

     The President stressed the importance of exchanging views and finding a way out of the current situation in the Middle East and warned that violence would not stop without negotiations that could give hope for peoples on both sides that peace would be achieved.

     Blair said that majority of the Palestinians and Israelis wanted to live together in peace and find a way to achieve that, adding that there must be good relations between peoples and countries to replace violence and terrorism, a goal which Egypt and Britain sought.

     The British Prime Minister thanked President Mubarak for his visit to Britain. President Mubarak referred to his old relationship with Blair, before he became Prime Minister of Britain.

     Asked about the Palestinian and Israeli efforts to halt violence, Blair said there was a big gap between the two sides, calling for providing a common ground for making progress.

     The British Prime Minister pointed out that President Mubarak's visit to Washington was aimed at discussing issues related to rendering the proposed peace process a success.

     Blair warned against the continuation of violence in the Middle East and the fall of innocent victims.

     He also warned of the dire consequences of the current economic conditions in the territories, and described the situation as terrible, calling again for starting talks to achieve peace.

     Asked by the Egyptian TV if the time was ripe to draw up a timetable for implementing the idea of establishing a Palestinian state in light of his support of the idea during his visit to Cairo in November, Blair said that any solution must be based on definite principles, adding that every side must recognise the right of the other to live together in security.

     Blair said he agreed with President Mubarak on what must be done, adding that he would work with the Europeans and Americans, and everyone else with a genuine desire for peace.

     The British Prime Minister added that there was a strong will in the region in that direction.

     Asked about the proposed international peace conference, President Mubarak said that he would discuss the issue during his meeting with US President George W. Bush. The President said it is important for the Palestinians and Israelis to hold meetings of the political and security committees to stop violence against the Palestinians and Israelis alike.

     Both Mubarak and Blair had asserted at the beginning of the press conference the importance of reaching a peaceful settlement to halt terrorism.

     Blair described his talks with President Mubarak, which lasted for more than two and a half hours, as very fruitful and dealt with conditions in the region.

     Official talks between President Mubarak and British Prime Minister Tony Blair started Wednesday, after Mubarak's arrival a the British government headquarters in London Wednesday.

     Talks began between him and Blair, and the two leaders were later joined by members of the Egyptian and British delegations. A working luncheon was hosted for the President and his accompanying delegation.

     Talks between Mubarak and Blair dealt with the situation in the Middle East region in light of the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, bilateral talks and other issues of mutual concern.

     The Egyptian delegation that joined Mubarak at the talks included Information Minister Safwat Al Sherif, Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and Mubarak's Political Adviser Osama Al Baz.

     Mubarak's visit to London is the first since Blair and Labour Party came to power in Britain in 1997.

     Reporting from Washington Al Ahram Chief Editor Ibrahim Nafei cited the following points in connection with the visit:

     The visit by President Mubarak to London came in the framework of the European and international support for the Egyptian stance which is seeking the establishment of peace in the Middle East and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

     -Talks between Mubarak and Blair were characterized by understanding and friendship. They underlined the need for deepening coordination between the two sides.

     -There is wider interest in the ideas President Mubarak will convey for saving the peace process. President Bush has expressed his keenness to discuss with President Mubarak the details of Egyptian proposals for declaring the Palestinian state.

     -Egypt, through President Mubarak, is seeking to render talks with President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell an incentive for taking decisions on ways of moving ahead towards the establishment of peace.

     -Sharon has asked for arranging a flight visit to Washington to put forward the Israeli viewpoint which he believes has been dampened by the visits by Arab leaders to the US.

     -The President will submit to President Bush a timetable for negotiations which will lead to a peace agreement between Israel and the state of Palestine.

     -Though the United States wants to convene an international conference on peace in the Middle East in Turkey in July, yet the picture is not completely clear. For this reason, President Mubarak will call on the United States to draw up a framework for the conference.