UAE and Egypt review Middle East peace efforts and regional crises

Cairo: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday received a letter from President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan dealing with latest developments on the Arab scene.

The letter was delivered to the Egyptian leader by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, during a meeting in Cairo.

A spokesman for Mubarak said the letter dealt with efforts being made to activate the Middle East peace process and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's current tour of the region.

Shaikh Abdullah and Mubarak discussed developments in Iraq, Lebanon and the Gulf in view of the debate on Iran's nuclear programme, the spokesman said.

They also reviewed Egypt's efforts to break the deadlock in the peace process through Mubarak's meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

The meeting came as Rice embarked on a fresh effort to revive the talks on Saturday but said she would not present any concrete initiative.

"I'm not coming with a proposal. I'm not coming with a plan," she told reporters.

Rice, who held talks with Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz on Saturday, will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday and meet Olmert on Monday.

Rice will also seek Arab help to stabilise Iraq during the trip, that will include stops in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

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