President Mubarak returned home last night after visits to Greece and Portugal.

While in Lisbon, President Mubarak addressed the inaugural session of the Africa-EU Summit which opened there yesterday.

In his speech before the Lisbon summit, which was attended by representatives of 81 states from Europe and Africa, President Mubarak said the main goal of the summit is to launch the new strategic partnership between Europe and Africa which will serve the interests of both sides.

The President said this partnership aims at confronting common challenges and is based on equality and mutual respect.

Mubarak noted that the convocation of the summit will give joint relations an impetus.

He expressed Egypt's hope of developing a viable joint mechanism to follow up the implementation of the outcome of the summit.

The proposed mechanism, added Mubarak, should also be entrusted with following up progress of dialogue between sides on African-European issues.

President Hosni Mubarak said the Cairo summit, in 2000, was an expression of a joint desire to give an impetus to African-European relations.

The current Lisbon summit is seeking to create a new strategic partnership that serves the interests of the peoples of the two continents, said Mubarak.

He expressed hope that the proposed strategy would be based on mutual respect and equality.

The current summit's agenda includes a host of important topics related to peace and security along with human rights and shifting to democratic practices together with inter-trade, development and climate change, Mubarak said.

Africa, he expounded, is forging ahead in promoting its democratic process and human rights values.

Democratic and human rights issues could not be dealt with away from other related issues namely poverty and development, added Mubarak.

Africa is still gripped with armed conflicts and poor growth rates, said Mubarak, noting that other problems include service of foreign debts and international trade conditions along with unemployment and endemic diseases.

The President called for the establishment of a partnership which could contribute to enhancing peace, and security in Africa, containing armed conflicts, shoring up efforts of the African Union and its establishments and enhancing the AU efforts to establish the early warning mechanism, boosting trade and investment in order to achieve high growth rates.

The President said this partnership will open the door before the sons of Africa to work in Europe far from illegitimate immigration.