Mubarak meets Powell over Mideast situation

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met on Wednesday with visiting US Secretary of State Colin powell over the volatile Mideast situation, the official MENA news agency reported.

The meeting is expected to focus on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Iraqi issue, the Darfur crisis in Sudan and bilateral ties.

Powell arrived here Tuesday evening for a two-day visit to Egypt, the second leg of his tour which has taken him to Hungary and will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Poland.

During his stay here, the top US diplomat will also meet with Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit.

On Tuesday, Powell defended the US-led war on Iraq and tried to strengthen the shaky coalition during his visit to Hungary.

"We have done the right thing in Afghanistan and in Iraq, we have liberated 55 million people from dictatorial nightmare," Powell told a gathering of Hungarian ambassadors in Budapest.

The security situation in Iraq has been worsening following a wave of bomb attacks, kidnappings and assassinations recently.

Source: Xinhua