Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is to meet French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy next week ahead of the relaunch of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, a state-owned daily said on Friday.
Mubarak will discuss the talks with Sarkozy on Monday during a stopover on his way to Washington to join the inaugural meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, the flagship Al-Ahram newspaper said.
Thursday's meeting will launch the first direct negotiations between the two sides since the Palestinians broke off talks in December 2008 after Israel launched a devastating offensive against the Gaza Strip.
Source: AFP Global Edition
