Egypt to attend Saturday's Baghdad meeting

Egyptian under Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Hani Khallaf will lead an Egyptian delegation to Baghdad for an Iraqi neighbors' conference slated for Saturday, an Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.

Reiterating Egypt's support for Iraq to realize security, stability and national reconciliation, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alaa Hadidi said Cairo's participation in the event falls within Egypt's framework of commitment to protect the Iraqi people's unity and offer them all needed help to rebuild their country.

On Friday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit also condemned killings and blasts targeting Shiite pilgrims in Iraq, saying such acts contradict with Islamic and humanitarian values.

Abul Gheit said his country deplores all kinds of sectarian violence and expressed condolences to the families of innocent victims killed in acts of violence or blasts in Iraq, urging all Iraqi factions to exercise self-restraint, renounce violence, close ranks, cling to their Iraqi identities and seek realizing reconciliation via dialogue.

On Tuesday, the Iraqi government formally invited UN Security Council's five permanent members of the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France to take part in the Baghdad meeting on Saturday, along with Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey.

Source: Xinhua