AMIR OF QATAR BEGINS VISIT TO EGYPT CAIRO, JULY 2 (KUNA) -- THE AMIR OF QATAR SHEIKH HAMAD BIN KHALIFA AL-THANI, BEGINS A VISIT ON TUESDAY TO EGYPT, TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND DISCUSS A NUMBER OF ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN, MAINLY THE ESCALATION OF THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE, DUE TO THE ONGOING ISRAELI AGGRESSION AGAINST PALESTINIANS.
QATAR'S AMBASSADOR IN EGYPT AND ITS PERMANENT DELEGATE IN THE ARAB LEAGUE, MOHAMMAD BIN HAMAD AL-KHALIFA EXPLAINED THAT EGYPT-QATAR SUMMIT WILL DISCUSS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ARABIC AND ISLAMIC LEVEL, AS WELL AS ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST.
THE AMBASSADOR INDICATED THAT THE VISIT ACQUIRES AN IMPORTANCE ESPECIALLY THAT IT COMES AT A VERY CRUCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE REGION IS GOING THROUGH, DUE TO THE ISRAELI ESCALATIONS IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.
THE SITUATION REQUIRES CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION BETWEEN ARAB LEADERS, IN ORDER TO FORM A UNITED STAND TO FACE THOSE ESCALATIONS.
THE SUMMIT WILL DISCUSS PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH, WHICH HE DELIVERED CONCERNING HIS PLAN TO SETTLE THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT THEY WILL DISCUSS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT REACTIONS THE SPEECH EVOKED, WHICH VARIED FROM A CONFIRMATION ON THE POSITIVE POINTS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE SPEECH, TO A CRITICISM FOR THE LACK OF A SPECIFIC MECHANISM.
EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT CONFIRMED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH INCLUDED POSITIVE POINTS. HE ALSO DEMANDED MORE EXPLANATIONS CONCERNING A NUMBER OF POINTS, IN PARTICULAR POINTS CONCERNING A PROVISIONAL PALESTINIAN STATE, THAT WILL LEAD TO A PERMANENT STATE.
THE AMIR OF QATAR, WHO IS HEADING THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE, WILL CONCLUDE HIS VISIT TO EGYPT ON WEDNESDAY, HEADING TO PARIS ON A TWO-DAY VISIT, IN WHICH HE WILL MEET WITH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC. (END) RGH.EA.
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