By KUNA,
Paris : French President Nicolas Sarkozy has received here Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over a working dinner during which the two sides discussed several issues of mutual interest.
Following his meeting with Sarkozy Tuesday, Mubarak told reporters that among the issues he discussed with Sarkozy was the Lebanese “crisis”, saying that it “still requires major efforts.”
He stressed that “everyone is working for it … France, us and many countries” regarding resolving the Lebanese crisis.
Sarkozy’s diplomatic advisor, Jean-David Levitte, told reporters that the French and Egyptian leaders participated in a working dinner followed by private talks, which had initially, “as it should be”, addressed the peace process in the Middle East.
“The President of the Republic asked President Mubarak about his analysis on the latest developments and Mubarak gave a lengthy account of the detail of the discussions, as he saw them,” he said.
“It was an important meeting on the peace process because from July 1, France, as president of the European Union, will enter the Quartet,” he added.
With this in mind, France considers the ongoing dialogue with Egypt on the subject of the peace process to be “absolutely essential.”
The French and Egyptian leaders also broached the issue of a broader peace in the region, Levitte remarked.
Also on the agenda of the talks was the French-inspired “Union for the Mediterranean” project, which aims to create a vast economic space linking the north and south banks of the Mediterranean, with cooperation possible in other areas as well.
A major summit is being planned for Paris on July 13 to bring together potential members of the “Union” and it was indicated here there would be two co-presidents for the group.
France could initially be given the presidency of the north and Egypt was cited as a strong contender for the south, although details still remain sketchy.
France also favours the Unions Secretariat being located in the southern Mediterranean and diplomats here said that Tunis was one city that was being circulated, but there are others.
The latest developments with the “Union” project are “very positive,” Levitte indicated, noting that the last EU Council meeting had given its support to the idea. “The 27 countries of the European Union unanimously, and with a flurry of enthusiasm, supported this project,” the diplomatic advisor said.
“We must now pass on to concrete things,” he pointed out.
Mubarak gave his “resolute support for this major project presented by France” and there was “total entente” between the two leaders on this topic.
All other subjects, including Lebanon and Iran were addressed in the private talks and details of these discussions were not released. But Levitte did reveal that the situation in Gaza was discussed and “Mubarak presented in detail his analysis of Egypt’s efforts to bring about a calming of the situation and a ceasefire, if possible, between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.”
On Lebanon, Levitte declined to give details of the private talks between the two leaders, but he did recall that France’s position on Lebanon had not changed and Paris gave full support to the Arab League Plan to end the crisis there.
He said that Lebanon’s former Chief of Staff Michel Sulaiman was “a candidate of quality” to become Lebanon’s next president and he added that France supported moves for a government of broad national unity and a modification of the electoral law.
Levitte emphatically rejected suggestions that France was resuming high-level contacts with Syria, despite a meeting of the two countries foreign ministers earlier Tuesday in Kuwait.
France froze contacts between the French presidency and Damascus last December because it said Syria was not actively seeking to help the situation in Lebanon and Levitte said “we are still waiting for those acts. Our position has not changed.”
Meanwhile, the Egyptian leader had a meeting earlier Tuesday with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon during which the two sides discussed Darfur, the situation in Iraq, the Lebanese crisis, the Peace Process and the Mediterranean Union project.
Mubarak also held talks with the French Confederation of Business Enterprises “Medef” during which the talks focused on ongoing economic ties and areas for future cooperation and trade.
During the meeting, Mubarak called on investors to further increase their investments in Egypt and boost the trade cooperation between the two countries.
France is considered the biggest investor in Egypt with investments estimated at 3 billion euros and is its third largest trade partner.
According to sources, Mubarak also discussed during his visit to France the development of its civil nuclear project, where the Egyptian leader had signed an accord with Russia during his recent visit there that entitles the latter to bid for the construction of Egypt’s first nuclear reactor.
Sarkozy had also offered civilian nuclear cooperation to Egypt, where earlier this year it was reported here that France is willing to cooperate with Egypt in the development of its nuclear programme.