'Atmosphere in Netanyahu-Mubarak meeting positive'
Prime minister's hour-and-a-half-long meeting with Egyptian president focuses on resumption of peace talks with Palestinians. National information advisor says meeting was constructive
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh has ended. The two met for over an hour-and-a-half on the backdrop of proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians slated to commence on Wednesday.
It was revealed Sunday that Netanyahu has decided to personally head negotiations.
According to Head of the National Information Directorate Nir Hefetz the private meeting "focused on the resumption of the peace process and other regional issues and was held under a positive and constructive atmosphere."
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and National Security Advisor Uzi Arad met with Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Sulieman and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Netanyahu and Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh (Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO)
Netanyahu's visit in Egypt comes in a sensitive time on the backdrop of an Egyptian bid to disarm the Middle East of nuclear weapons.
An American-Russian initiative for a nuclear-free Mideast, supported by Egypt, will be discussed during the nuclear summit in New York. The initiative calls Israel to disarm itself of nuclear arms.
A number of other issues are slated to be raised as part of Netanyahu-Mubarak talks, such as the anti-smuggling campaign on Israel's southern border and the war against radical Islamic terror following recent terror alerts in the Sinai region.
