Egypt's Mubarak welcomes "constitutional" ElBaradei candidacy

Mar 4, 2010, 15:50 GMT

Berlin - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak said on Thursday that ex-UN nuclear agency head Mohammed ElBaradei was welcome to stand in presidential elections - as long as he respected the constitution.

Mubarak was in the German capital for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, which focused on resuming the Middle East peace process.

'If (ElBaradei) wants to join a party he can choose any party. If he wants to candiate via a party, he can go ahead. If he wants to candidate independently, he can go ahead,' Mubarak said.

'We just have a constitution which needs to be respected,' the president added, during a press conference in Berlin.

ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), returned to Egypt last month in response to calls for him to run for president in the 2011 elections.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has not announced an intention to run in Egypt's 2011 presidential elections, and is currently barred from doing so under the constitution.

Mubarak's meeting with Merkel focused on reviving the stalled Middle East peace talks.

The leaders agreed that so-called proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians, moderated by a third party, were crucial in enabling the peace process to resume.

'Egypt and Germany have a fundamental interest in these talks getting started,' Merkel said, adding that it was important for these indirect talks to eventually turn into direct talks.

'Every effort is worthwhile for us, since I am convinced that Europe has an imprtant role to play,' the chancellor added.

Merkel further pointed out that Mubarak's visit complemented recent trips to Berlin by Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Mubarak said it was important to keep in mind the goal to resume direct negotiations within four months of launching the proximity talks.

'The continuation of the current situation is dangerous. We must not lose time in addressing the issue,' the president said.

Mubarak called upon Israel to halt settlement building in areas including east Jerusalem, in order to set the right atmosphere for talks to resume.

'The takeover of the Ibrahimi mosque also prevents the peace process,' Mubarak said, in reference to the site in the West Bank city of Hebron which Israel has listed as a heritage site.

'There is still a lot of work ahead before we can really talk about a two-state solution,' Merkel said, adding that Europe was ready to take on a stronger role in the peace talks.

The chancellor identified key challenges including borders and security questions as well as the issue of refugees, whilst also helping to build a Palestinian state from the bottom up.

Mubarak recognized Germany's efforts in the peace process. The president said he had invited Merkel to visit Egypt at the soonest opportunity.

Early in the day, Egyptian state television reported that Mubarak would travel to the German city of Heidelberg on Friday afternoon for medical tests and to undergo treatment for pain in his gall bladder.

Mention of the medical tests was dropped from subsequent television news reports in Egypt, where public discussion of the 81-year-old president's health is considered sensitive.

Mubarak last visited Germany in 2008. He had no further official engagements during his visit.