Mubarak meets EU envoys as Sarkozy heads for region (Roundup)

Jan 5, 2009, 12:32 GMT

Cairo - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak received Monday a cluster of European Union (EU) envoys, as diplomatic efforts got underway towards forging a ceasefire deal for the Gaza Strip.

The EU group, meeting Mubarak in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, included French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, EU Foreign Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU top diplomat Javier Solana as well as the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and the Czech Republic, Carl Bildt and Karel Schwarzenberg.

The delegation was due to travel on to Jerusalem, Ramallah and Amman. Prior to the trip, Schwarzenberg had received heavy Arab criticism for calling the Israeli ground offensive an act of 'self- defence,' a statement his government subsequently played down.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that the talks focused entirely on the situation in Gaza, 'to reach an an immediate ceasefire, reopen the crossings and restore peace in the Gaza Strip.'

Speaking for the EU delegation, Ferrero-Waldner reiterated the bloc's call for an immediate ceasefire, saying that humanitarian situation must be addressed.

'The EU is gravely concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and is prepared to offer every help possible and provide relief assistance to the Palestinian people who are lacking water supplies, electricity, food and medical equipment and medicines,' she said.

Solana added that the EU would be prepared to resume its position as monitor of the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza. It will be more than willing to cooperate in a constructive way once a ceasefire is reached, he added.

'The EU is seeking to expedite steps to reach a ceasefire and believes that the sooner this is done is the better.'

The EU delegation departed for Israel following their discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Parallel to the EU delegation visit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was also due to arrive in the region, with the Paris leader stressing the special role of his country in the Mideast.

Traveling in his capacity as co-president, with Egypt, of the Union for the Mediterranean, Sarkozy is scheduled first to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the resort of Sharm el-Sheik.

'France, having managed to establish a bond of confidence and friendship with all concerned parties, holds a particular responsibility: that of taking all risks to help find a solution,' Sarkozy said in an interview with three Lebanese newspapers, published on Monday at the start of his trip to the Middle East.

Sarkozy couldn't say whether his efforts to end the Israeli attacks in the Gaza strip and the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel would be successful. 'All I know is that whoever doesn't take the risk of failure also denies themselves the chance of success,' he continued.

In view of the indirect criticism by some EU partners at his attempt to go it alone, he said, 'Frankly, who could reproach me for trying everything to put an end to so much suffering?'

The deployment of the two parallel missions has raised eyebrows in Brussels, where some observers interpret it as signalling a French mistrust in Czech abilities to handle such a delicate mission.

That speculation grew at the weekend after a Czech government spokesman described Israel's land invasion of the Gaza Strip as 'defensive' - a label which contradicted earlier French statements that Israel's bombardment of the strip had been disproportionate.

The spokesman later retracted his words and offered to resign, but not before reports that the EU was divided over Gaza had spread widely in the media.