Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said his statements on Iraqi Shiites last week did not cast doubt on their loyalty to their country, the Akhbar el-Youm reported Saturday.

"My statements on Shiites addressed allegiance and religious compassion without the least reference to undermine their nationalism," Mubarak said in an interview with the daily.

"Our efforts toward the Iraqi people do not differentiate among Sunnis, Shiites or Kurds. They are all Iraqis and our brothers," Mubarak said.

"The Iraqis need all sorts of support to help them stand up to challenges they are currently facing," he added.

On April 8, Mubarak said in an interview with the al-Arabiya news channel that "Shiites are mostly always loyal to Iran and not the countries where they live," which irritated Iran and Iraq, both of whom have a Shiite majority.

Iraq on Wednesday refused to attend a meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Iraq at the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo.

Suleiman Awad, Mubarak's spokesman, also said that Mubarak's words just reflected his great concern over the deterioration of the situation and his commitment to the unity of Iraq.

Source: Xinhua