28 June 2009….

Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, Sameh Shoukri delivered a speech before the International Affairs Council in North California on the Egyptian/American relations, and the current challenges in the Middle East. He affirmed that Egypt expressed satisfaction with the statements of the US President Barack Obama, which delivered in Cairo University on June 4th. 2009, regarding the importance of the Palestinian cause in the challenges of the middle East, and US commitment to resolve it, in an early phase of his presidential term of office, according to the two states principle. Ambassador Shoukri expressed his belief that the solution of the Palestinian issue must be based on respect of fundamental principles of human rights on both Palestinian and Israeli sides. He added that the occupation of the territory of another State cannot be accepted, in the twentieth century, affirming the right of all peoples of the region to live in peace and security.

Shoukri confirmed  the intention of Egypt, in cooperation with the United States, to continue its intensive efforts to restore negotiation between Palestinian and Israeli sides in order to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy. He added that the next stage requires more cooperation between Egypt, US and the international community to remove a number of obstacles that hinder the resumption of the Palestinian/Israeli peace process, especially stopping Israeli settlement activities immediately, and putting pressure on the Israeli government to recognize the right of the Palestinian side to establish its independent State.

The Egyptian Ambassador also tackled the status of regional security and the threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, referring to Egypt’s efforts that aiming at implementing its initiative to establish a free zone of nuclear weapons in 1974 and the comprehensive initiative of President Mubarak to free the Middle East from all weapons of mass destruction in 1990. Shoukri affirmed that Egypt expressed concern of Iran's negative policies of the region and the increasing indicators on Iran's pursuit to interfere in the internal affairs of some Arab countries. Nevertheless, Egypt always stressed the importance of dealing  with  the Iran nuclear issue in the context of diplomatic effort, based on a comprehensive vision includes a serious deal with the issue of Israeli nuclear capabilities and the establishment of a free zone of nuclear weapons.

Ambassador Sameh Shoukri concluded his speech by emphasizing Egypt’s aspiration to build on the results of the important and positive meeting between the two presidents Hosni Mubarak and Barack Obama in Cairo on June 4th, 2009. He stressed the importance of the US-Egyptian relations in dealing with the challenges in the Middle East, to achieve security, stability and development in the region, and to heal the divide between the Western and Islamic worlds.