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Wednesday, March 29, 2000
Speaker. Hastert, Senator. Lott, Senator. Daschle, Congressman. Armey, Congressman. Gephardt, Distinguished members of the US congress, I would like to thank you all for arranging such a delightful gathering. as you well know, we greatly value your role and your contribution to the cause of further enhancing cooperation between our two nations. We have always felt that our many friends in the US congress are endowed with an unwavering commitment to building new bridges for interaction between our peoples. This time, my visit to Washington coincides with several developments in Egypt, the Middle East and Africa. Our nations are going to through a historic transformation process aimed at building a better future to our young generations. We are striving to introduce modern technology in different spheres of our life. We are also trying to avoid being marginalised in the era of globalization and looking forward to a new world order, which is just and fair to all nations. While we are deeply involved in this process, we are confronting the challenge of making peace and putting an end to armed conflicts and upheavals. In the Middle East, we are sparing no effort in our push for a just and comprehensive peace. We are helping both parties as they are engaged in serious negotiations. We are keen to avoid any disruption or stalemate. We are assuming this role in recognition of our regional responsibilities and in coordination with the US, as we believe that our cooperation is crucial to the success of that process. We look at the prospects for a just and comprehensive peace with optimism and confidence. On the Syrian track, we have witnessed certain positive developments in the past few months. both parties have made constructive statements and moves. it would be a grave mistake to miss this historic opportunity to reinforce the structure of peace and usher in a new era of social and economic development. With this in mind, we had hoped that the meeting between President Clinton and President Assad would result in resuming the negotiations on the Syrian track and we still hope that the obstacles that exist would be removed soon. On the Palestinian track, we were reassured by both parties declared intention to work towards implementing signed agreements and honoring commitments. What is encouraging, despite emerging problems, is that the parties emphasized their commitment to continue to work together. Yesterday, they concluded a new brainstorming round of talks without making concrete progress and they will resume their talks again on April 6 and I hope that the next round will produce significant progress. Your continued interest in this process is crucial to its success. On the Lebanese track, we hope that Israel will withdraw its forces fully in the proper context. As these steps are taken on all tracks the road will be paved for a new era of peace and coexistence in the Middle East that will definitely lead to greater security and stability. Freeing the region from weapons of mass destruction and devoting greater resources to development plans are of utmost importance in the peace process. Dear Friends: As I am sure, you have clearly realized that helping us maintain our defense capability and strengthen our economy constitute a valuable contribution to the maintenance of peace and security in a region of vital importance to the US. For centuries, Egypt has assumed the role of the stabilizer and the model-setter in the region, a role which is highly appreciated both in the middle east and abroad. Today, investment and trade stand out as two priority areas in our cooperation. We have achieved significant progress in this respect under the structure of the partnership between our two countries. However, it is our firm belief that enhancing our trade relations significantly cannot be achieved without some form of Free Trade Agreement. We need your enthusiastic support and backing in order to attain that goal. We count on your friendship and understanding. Thank you. |
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