Mubarak calls on Israelis, Palestinians to implement roadmap

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said the Mideast peace process could go on, if the Israelis and the Palestinians fulfill their obligations outlined in the internationally-backed roadmap, the official MENA news agency reported on Sunday.

"Egypt is trying its best to make the Palestinians act in unison and help the Palestinian National Authority control the situation in the territories," Mubarak said in an interview with May newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling National Democratic Party, to be published on Monday.

"Egypt is also working with the international quartet and Israel to stop settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories," he was quoted as saying.

"Direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians are the only way to make progress, otherwise violence will continue unabated," Mubarak told the newspaper.

On the Iraqi issue, Mubarak said the only way out of the current perilous situation was to hold general elections at the beginning of 2005 to protect Iraq's territorial integrity.

As for the Darfur crisis, Mubarak said the situation in the western Sudanese region of Darfur was complicated, and parties concerned should help Khartoum honor commitments it made to the United Nations and the African Union.

Source: Xinhua