Egypt has its weight in the region and works on establishing peace in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said Thursday 6/12/2007.

At a meeting of the European Parliament's foreign relations and oriental group committee held Thursday 6/12/2007 in Brussels, the Egyptian top diplomat said Egypt is an Arab and African country and has relations with Asia, Africa, the United States and the European Union, adding that Egypt also is making every possible effort to solve the Middle East issue.

Abul-Gheit said that the Egyptian economic growth rate ranges between 7.2 and 7.3%, hoping this figure would go up.

Touching on the Lebanese issue, the Egyptian top diplomat said Lebanon is passing through a difficult stage hindering the Lebanese to reach an agreement over the coming president of the country, adding that Egypt is in contact with the Lebanese authorities to follow up the situation there.

Abul-Gheit hoped the Lebanese would reach a consensus on the coming president to restore stability to Lebanon.

As for Darfur crisis, Abul-Gheit said the Sudanese government, out of its rejection of the presence of European troops in Sudan, is against deploying a hybrid African-European peacekeeping force in Darfur. The Sudanese government only allows the deployment of African forces.

Egypt, he noted, does not spare any effort to help establish peace and stability in Sudan.

President Mubarak's participation in the second Europe-Africa summit to open in Lisbon on Saturday reflects a personal desire and an Egyptian tendency to link Africa with the EU, the Foreign Minister said.

In statements in Brussels on Thursday 6/12/2007, Ahmed Abul-Gheit made it clear that Egypt, within the North African group, served as a bridge and crossing point linking Africa with the union, hailing the first summit held in Cairo in 2000.

Egypt has contributed with Portugal in setting the stage for the Lisbon summit over the past three years and pressed for holding a preparatory ministerial meeting for the gathering, he said in reference to the conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh on December 4-5.

The Egyptian top diplomat said the ministerial meeting achieved its cherished goal; agreeing on all documents issued by Lisbon summit.

The Minister hoped the summit would bring about a settlement of problems hindering relations between the two sides.

As for NATO meeting at ministerial level with seven member states in the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, Abul-Gheit said he would take part in the meeting for the second time as he participated in the first meeting in December 2004.

Annapolis conference will be the main topic of talks to be held Friday between NATO's Foreign Ministers and Foreign Ministers of seven member states in the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, he noted.

Meantime, in statements on Thursday 6/12/2007, Ahmed Abul-Gheit called for halting those measures as they were harmful to confidence-building between the two parties and undermined any progress achieved in this respect, given the fact that Annapolis served as a start for re-launching those talks.

Israel's recent decision to set up new settlements blocks launching the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on December 12 as set during the Annapolis conference, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said.

Egypt's top diplomat exchanged views early today with the European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering on a number of issues of mutual interest.

7/12/2007