Mubarak to visit Moscow for talks on Mideast, nuclear power
MOSCOW (AFP) — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will visit Moscow next week for talks centring on the situation in the Middle East and civilian nuclear energy, Egypt's ambassador said Saturday.
The visit comes at "a critical moment when the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians is practically frozen and when the situation is getting worse in Gaza," ambassador Ezzat Al-Saied told Interfax news agency.
"At such a time, it is still important for Egypt to consult and exchange ideas with Russia," he said.
During Mubarak's visit from Monday to Wednesday, the two countries will sign an accord on civilian nuclear energy, giving Moscow the chance to participate in building Egypt's first nuclear reactor.
Mubarak announced in October that Egypt would be looking for contractors in the 1.5-1.8 billion dollar (around one to 1.2 billion euros) project.
Russia, which is responsible for the Bushehr facility in Iran and recently signed a contract to construct a reactor in Bulgaria, is determined to muscle its way into the Egyptian market so far dominated by French and US companies. Beyond his meetings with outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mubarak will also hold talks with president-elect Dmitry Medvedev, who takes office May 7.
His visit comes days before an Arab summit scheduled for March 29-30 which has been mired in controversy with some Arab states saying they will not attend if the Lebanese parliament does not elect a president by then.
Regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt have blamed Syria -- which was the dominant political and military force in Lebanon for decades -- for obstructing the election.
