Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday met with visiting EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten on issues of Iraq and Palestine.
Speaking to reporters after his talks with Mubarak, Patten said the current situation in the Palestinian lands was extremely grave,and he briefed Mubarak on the EU's efforts to solve economic and humanitarian issues in the Palestinian areas.
On the Iraqi crisis, Patten said the UN Security Council was still discussing the matter, expressing hope that UN weapons inspectors would return to Baghdad soon in line with upcoming UN resolutions.
Shortly after his arrival in Cairo Sunday evening, Patten held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the EU official criticized Israel for failing to honor international resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while urging Israel to be committed to implementing UN Security Council resolutions.
Patten's visit to Egypt followed a trip by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who said in Cairo last week that a number of steps will be taken in the coming period in a bid to reactivate the stalled peace process.
Apart from Egypt, Solana, as a representative of the Quartet Committee on the Middle East, which comprises the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia, also visited Israel and the Palestinian self-rule areas.