Mubarak, Bush Mull Mideast Situation Over Phone

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 13, 2002

Mubarak, Bush Mull Mideast Situation Over Phone

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to adopt a " flexible and cooperative" attitude to testify his sincerity to achieve peace.

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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to adopt a " flexible and cooperative" attitude to testify his sincerity to achieve peace.

An Egyptian presidential source told Xinhua that Mubarak made the appeal in a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, during which they discussed "ways to defuse the Palestinian-Israeli tension and help resume peace talks."

The source quoted Mubarak as telling Bush that the Palestinian side has done as possible as it can to quell the violence on the ground, but there is no way for the Palestinian side to achieve satisfactory results in this respect due to policies pursued by the Israeli government.

According to Egypt's official MENA news agency, Mubarak and Bush had a phone discussion on the deteriorating Mideast situation.

"During the phone conversation, initiated by Bush, the two leaders exchanged views on the Mideast situation and the international efforts made by the two countries to contain the worsening situation in the occupied Palestinian territories," MENA said.

Mubarak and Bush also made an assessment of contacts and consultations held recently among all parties concerned, it said, adding that the two leaders agreed to maintain coordination and consultations on regional and international issues.

Egypt, a key ally of the U.S. in the Mideast region, has called on the U.S. to adopt balanced and impartial stances to deal with the raging Palestinian-Israeli violence.

The source also confirmed to Xinhua that later in the day, Mubarak also received a phon call from Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, saying during the phone talks, Mubarak stressed that violence could only lead to violence, and pursuing peace talks is the only way to realize security and peace.

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