Wednesday, September 19, 2001
King, Mubarak discuss policies
Talks will focus on regional and international developments following the attack on US as well as efforts to restore calm in the Middle East
SHARM EL-SHEIKH (Reuters) ----Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah began talks on Tuesday to discuss the impact of last week's attacks on U.S.
cities on regional stability, presidential sources said.
Mubarak and King Abdullah, who had started discussions by phone on Monday, met against the backdrop of a U.S. call for greater efforts to end Middle East violence as it tries to bring Arab and Islamic states into a global anti-terrorism coalition.
"We will discuss the latest developments and their implications (on the Middle East)...especially since Jordan has condemned clearly the terrorist attacks," one senior Jordanian official said before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh.
Jordan and Egypt, the only two Arab states with peace treaties with Israel, regularly consult on regional issues.
Arab officials had voiced fear that the Arab-Israeli conflict would be put on the back-burner of the international agenda while world attention remains on the United States and its possible retaliation following the attacks.
But U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell tried on Monday to reassure Arab governments that the United States has not forgotten the Arab-Israeli conflict, even while mobilizing for a war against "terrorism".