Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will not attend the summit of French-speaking nations opening in Beirut on Friday, because of the regional crisis, his foreign minister Ahmed Maher said Monday.
Maher was speaking after arriving to take part in a preparatory meeting of ministers ahead of the three-day summit. "The very serious regional situation demands that he remain in Cairo to keep a close eye on it," Maher said, adding that he would be representing Egypt at the summit, AFP said.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian diplomatic source said the summit was important because it is the first time it is being held in an Arab capital.
The secretary general of the International Francophone Organization, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, is an Egyptian. The Beirut summit is tasked with naming his successor, and former Senegalese president Abdou Diouf has declared his candidacy. (Albawaba.com)
