Mubarak meets Israeli Defense Minister

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-27-2007 08:44

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has met with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in the Red Sea resort Sharm el-Sheikh.

The two leaders discussed the Mideast peace process and the Palestinian issue.

Mubarak and Barak discussed ways to alleviate the Palestinian people's suffering.

The talks also focused on the Middle East peace process and how to achieve the outcome of the Annapolis peace conference, held in the US in November.

Mubarak hopes his meetings with Barak will lead to progress in the stalled Mideast peace process. Establishing a Palestinian state is a goal Egypt seeks to achieve.

The first and second round of peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel failed because of Israeli settlement activities near East Jerusalem.

Barak maintains the building project focuses on building in neighborhoods inside Jerusalem.

Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister, said, "We are not establishing new settlements, we are not going to new projects outside the fence, but at the same time Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and, activity that stands out from natural daily need of life within places where Israelis are still living. These are parts of our natural activity and I think that we are very clear on it."

Barak's first visit comes amid tensions between the two countries on alleged weapon-smuggling into Gaza through tunnels along the Egyptian-Gaza borders.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei