Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said the Egyptian-Saudi summit between President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia Tuesday came at an important stage. The Minister told diplomatic editors to Rome to attend a conference on Lebanon that the Egyptian-Saudi talks were part of Arab efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon, putting an end to the deteriorating situation there, along with supporting the Lebanese and maintaining Lebanon's interests. The Foreign Minister said Egypt's move to contain the situation in Lebanon did not start yesterday, as President Mubarak acted as soon as the crisis erupted.

The Egyptian diplomatic action on this score did not stop for a second, he said, adding that any action in this regard aimed at realizing the objectives, away from any clash, as only Israel would benefit from such a clash. We should not let the chance slip through Israel's fingers in a way that would prevent it from realizing additional benefits in its relation with the international community, Abul-Gheit said.

Egypt will hold intensive contacts with a number of foreign ministers participating in a conference on Lebanon to open in the Italian capital Rome Wednesday, including the Italian Foreign Minister who will head the conference, as well as foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Russia, Spain and Turkey, according to the Egyptian Minister. However, Abul-Gheit warned of differences in views on the international level vis-à-vis containing the current crisis in Lebanon.

Answering a question on whether there were specific views, Abul-Gheit said that Egypt might reiterate its call for a ceasefire and bringing military operations to an end. Answering a question on whether the Rome Conference could reach any results now that key parties such as Israel and Syria would not be attending the gathering, Abul-Gheit voiced belief that Israel, being the party that carried out all these violent acts would not participate in such a meeting.

Concerning the borders issue, the Egyptian Minister said, Egypt calls for redrawing the blue line in Lebanon, in a way that would help the Lebanese obtain their legitimate rights. The meeting will also discuss a prisoners' swap, along with providing required humanitarian aid to all displaced Lebanese, he added.