23 May 2007… Upon the directives of the Foreign Minister to the Assistants Minister to intensify political consultations with the countries of different geographic groups to push the bilateral relations forward and to coordinate stances towards the international and regional issues of common concern, Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Ambassador Fatma Al zahraa Etman, conducted a European tour that included Bulgaria and Poland during the period from 18 to 21 May. During her tour, Ambassador Etman delivered a message from Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit to his Bulgarian counterpart Ivailo Kalfin, which included congratulations on the Bulgarian membership in the European Union, and aspiration that this membership would contribute to expanding the range of cooperation between both countries, on the bilateral and regional levels, especially within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Association. The Assistant Minister delivered a similar message to the Polish Foreign Minister, Anna Fotyga, within the framework of coordinating the Egyptian-Polish stances in view of Poland's membership in the European Union, and the Polish keenness to consult with Egypt on various regional issues. Ambassador Etman also met with Piotr Naimski, the Polish Commissioner for Energy security Affairs and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Economy, where they discussed the means of enhancing commercial relations between both sides, especially in the field of energy. During the visit, the executive programme of the cultural cooperation agreement between both countries was signed. Ambassador Etman has also headed the Egyptian delegation in the political consultation sessions with Bulgaria and Poland. The Egyptian Ambassador in Sofia Heba El-Marasy and the Egyptian Ambassador in Warsaw Yehia El-Ramlawi participated in the consultations. The consultations tackled the bilateral relations and the regional issues of common concern, in particular the outcomes of Riyadh Summit related to activating the Arab Peace Initiative and the European stance towards it, as well as Egypt’s efforts to end the Palestinian infighting and to revive the peaceful process. The consultations also discussed the developments of the Lebanese crisis, the situation in Sudan and the Egyptian views that were proposed to reach a solution for the crisis in Darfur, the Iranian nuclear dossier; in addition to the Egyptian efforts to achieve security and stability and push forward Iraqi reconciliation in view of Egypt's hosting of two ministerial meetings on Iraq in May 2007, in Sharm El Sheikh.