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Tuesday, December 30, 1997
President Hosni Mubarak has underlined the importance of various development projects in Egypt, voicing hope that Egyptians would start to enjoy the fruits of Toshka development projects next year. In an interview with Good Morning Egypt TV programme broadcast today, the Egyptian leader said he hoped that the development schemes in Toshka and Shark El-Tafria areas would be implemented next year. "The electricity and drinking water utilities would reach Toshka area by the end of next year, which will speed up establishing new urban communities in the area," he said. "Shark El-Tafria project seeks to create more jobs for people in the fields of industry and shipment services," he told the daily morning programme. "1997 has witnessed a great progress in the economic field, which was recognised by the world. The privatisation programme proceeded while maintaining the interests of the people," President Mubarak said, adding that the new development schemes aim at creating new urban communities and jobs outside the old narrow Nile valley. "Toshka project will create a new valley, a new civilisation and new communities," he said, adding that the area was rich with underground water which can be used in agricultural activities. "Power supplies would be provided to Abu Simbel area by the end of 1998 then to Toshka, in addition to the water and telephone services." Mubarak told the programme that the government was looking for strategic investors to build and operate the Shark El-Tafria project, which will include a giant cargo port. "The project is not merely a port. Industries would be built on an area of 12,000 feddans to create new job opportunities. We are now looking for investors to build and operate the project on the same method of giant ports in Singapore and Dubai," he said. Asked about the impact of the GATT-turned-WTO on the Egyptian industries, he said that Egypt had lifted bans to import certain products without greatly affecting the national industries. Egypt is about to open its doors for textile imports by the beginning of 1998 in accordance with the GATT-turned-WTO. "As for the textile industry, we have warned the companies to develop their products to stand for international competition. There are of course some import restrictions but we cannot defend our national industry with the old methods," he said. The Egyptian leader, moreover, praised the national automobile industry in Egypt. "Car industry in Egypt has become advanced and does not fear foreign competition. Egyptians have gained actual experience in the field and there are many companies which are able to produce an Egyptian car," he said. The President said that the government would not reduce customs duties on imported cars to "protect the national industry that has a big manpower." The Egyptian leader, moreover, denied reports that Egypt was planning to privatise drinking water utilities. "These are just baseless rumours. We cannot privatise the water utility to maintain the interests of people," he said, adding that he also refused to increase the price of drinking water. "The cost of water plants is very high and so is the cost of pipelines. This increases the price of water in tourist area like Hurghada," he said. The Egyptian leader also urged wealthy Egyptians to spend their holidays in Egyptian resorts to help the recovery of the Egyptian tourism industry, which badly hit by last month’s terrorist attack in Luxor. The President also stressed Egypt's enthusiasm to establish "normal ties with all the Arab and Islamic countries." He also expressed hope that the recent signals of rapprochement shown by Tehran "real and not for manoeuvring." The President said that over the past period, the Iranian government had taken many actions that raised doubts on Tehran's intentions towards Egypt. "They named a street after the name of the killer of late President Anwar Sadat, in addition to what they called "exporting the revolution". If we became sure that all of these (policies) ended, relations (with Iran) will be normal," he said. The Egyptian leader's remarks also touched on the civil war in the Sudan. Asked whether Cairo might mediate a treaty ending the Sudanese civil war like the Cairo Declaration which ended the Somalia conflict, Mubarak said that Egypt was exerting efforts to establish peace in the Sudan. "I hope that the solution would maintain the (territorial) integrity of the Sudan," said President Mubarak, who met with the SPLA leader John Garang in Cairo for the first time earlier this month. He added that during his talks with Garang, he had stressed the impor-tance of maintaining the territorial integrity of the country. The President, referring to the Somali Cairo Declaration, said he was astonished by Ethiopia's reaction towards the peace agreement, signed in Cairo earlier this month. "Reaching the Cairo Declaration for reconciliation in Somalia was made in coordination with Ethiopia to settle peace in Somalia and the entire region. Ethiopia was informed with all the steps of the reconciliation process," he said. "I think that all the Somali factions that signed the Cairo Declaration would abide by the treaty. Egypt is ready to cooperate with Ethiopia to implement the deal," he said. The President's interview focused on the Turkish-Israeli war games, slated next month in the Mediterranean Sea. "Egypt does not interfere in Turkey's relations with the other countries. But if these manoeuvres were meant to harm any neighbouring country, Egypt will stand against them. Egypt is against military alliances in general," he said. "Turkey will lose much ground in the Arab countries if these manoeuvres target Syria or any other country," he added. Touching on the Middle East peace process, which is suffering a nine month-old deadlock over Israel's settlement expansion, Mubarak said he hoped a final peace would be reached in 1998. However, he accused the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of impeding the peace process. "'The Israeli Netanyahu does not want a solution or to keep his promises or honour agreements concluded by the previous governments," Mubarak said, adding that he had met with the Israeli premier four times, during which the Israeli leader made many promises but honoured none. "The Israeli government does not want to carry out the Hebron accord it signed in January 1997 and at the same time wants the Palestinian Authority to give concessions," he said. "Unless Israel carried out the second phase of troops deployment", the President warned, "the peace process will hit an impasse and may explode and threaten Israel's security." "The only guarantee for the security of Israel and the entire region is to give the (Palestinian) rights back, not to seize lands by force. The arrogance policy would only lead to very grave consequences," he said. The President hoped also that 1998 would witness a breakthrough on the Syrian-Israeli peace track. |
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