Mubarak warns against catastrope in ME/Interview with Al-Ahram – Egyptian State Information Service press release/Non-UN document

Mubarak warns against catastrophe in ME

President Hosni Mubarak called on all regional and international parties concerned to immediately reach a peaceful: settlement to the existing problem between the Palestinians and Israelis, especially the issue of the kidnapped Israeli soldier, adding he personally exerts his utmost to avert taking place a catastrophe that may destroy everything in the region.

In an interview with Al-Ahram daily, President Mubarak said he made telephone contacts with the leaders concerned with the crisis mainly President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and French President Jacque Chirac.

The President indicated that all these contacts targeted defusing the crisis and the necessity of reaching a rapid solution to the kidnapped Israeli soldier.

The President added the Egyptian contacts were also made with some Hamas leaders.

These contacts resulted in some positive outcomes, as Hams agreed to conditionally hand over the soldier as soon as possible to avoid more escalation, but no agreement was concluded with the Israeli side in this regard so far," the President said.

He touched on his recent telephone call with President Bashar Al-Assad, pointing out it came within the Egyptian-Syrian constant consultation for the sake of the Arab common action and to avoid tension escalation in the region in light of the US stance which supports Israel in its right to defend itself.

The President called on the Israeli Premier to wait for a peaceful solution to the problem, indicating that the Israeli leaders made promises and I hope they will respect them concerning abstention from bloodshed of innocent Palestinian citizens.

The President said Egypt in the meantime warned Hams leaders against hazards of its ongoing stiff stances. Egypt called on Hamas to shoulder its responsibility to the looming 9angers and calamities that besiege the Palestinian people at present, taking into consideration the events began taking a new turn, as Israel detained some members of the Cabinet and parliament.

The President in his interview with Al-Ahram's Editor-in- Chief tackled the domestic issues and the political, legislative and constitutional reform Egypt takes.

The President lauded the decisive and honourable outcome reached by the judicial and legislative parties concerned far from his personal intervention until the pass of the new judiciary law.

Egypt is taking unshakable and calculated steps on the way to political, legislative and constitutional reforms whose positive results will soon appear in all walks of life, he said.

On the president's agenda in the coming days, he said he would attend ceremony graduations of the military colleges, and receive a top official from an Arab Gulf country next week.