Visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul-Gheit said Friday that his country supported holding an international meeting on the Middle East.

Abul-Gheit, who arrived here yesterday, told Interfax news agency that Russia encouraged all sides to reach a final solution for the Middle East conflict.

The Egyptian minister demanded Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and release Palestinian prisoners.

He expressed his belief that Israel's nuclear power was a threat to the security and stability of the Middle East, reminding of Egypt's call to rid the region of nuclear weapons.

Abul-Gheit highlighted the importance of resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through peaceful means and said Egypt refused the emergence of new nuclear countries in the region, but that it believed nations had the right to invest in nuclear energy for peaceful causes.

On Russia, he said it was Egypt's largest trade partner in Asia and Africa, adding that trade exchange between the two countries in 2007 was USD 1.3 billion, witnessing a dramatic increase.

Egypt and Russia are holding talks to sign an agreement on free trade and establishing an industrial area, he pointed out.

On his part, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement published in the ministry's website that his country's talks with Egypt would focus on the Middle East, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, the Iranian nuclear issue, and means of increasing cooperation.

KUNA

Güncelleme Tarihi: 14 Aralık 2007, 13:21