Mubarak, Arafat Hold Talks on Mideast Peace ProcessEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks Wednesday morning with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the Mideast peace process.Mubarak and Arafat were expected to deal with primarily the latest situation in the Palestinian territories and the results of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent tour to the region, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported. During his seven-stop trip in the region which concluded on Monday, Powell reaffirmed the US committment to helping reach a lasting peace in the Middle East and urged the Palestinians and Israelis to contain violence. Osama Al-Baz, Egyptian presidential advisor, said Tuesday that the Middle East is at "crucial moments," adding that "all efforts should be mobilized to remove any negative elements and salvage the flagging peace process." Arafat, who arrived here late Tuesday, often comes to Egypt for discussions with Mubarak who has been playing a mediatory role in the Middle East peace process. |
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