President Hosni Mubarak has commissioned Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister, to head Egypt's delegation to the 13th African Union summit, which started its activities yesterday in the Libyan coastal town of Sirte. Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have also apologized for not attending the summit. After Mubarak announced that he would not attend the summit, many people started "speculations" to explain the reasons behind that absence. On the other hand, Mubarak visited the 6th of October City and toured a number of factories in the city's industrial zone in a step seen by observers as a pre-emptive message to abort any explanations on the reasons for the absence.
In response to questions from journalists during the visit, Mubarak said: "The Arab world is now at best. There may be some problems, but they will be solved by the passage of the time. The process of cooperation is ongoing."
Commissioning Nazif to attend Serite Summit caused a state of confusion in Nazif's agenda. Nazif was supposed to chair the Board of Governors yesterday in Menoufia governorate, which took tight security measures to receive Nazif and the governors. The meeting was cancelled after Menoufia governor was informed of Nazif's sudden travel. Maj. Gen. Abdel Salam Mahgoub said the meeting was postponed to next Wednesday, adding that the Prime Minister and his delegation would have inaugurated a number of projects in Menoufia on the occasion of its national day.
Some bodies in the governorate raised flags along the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road until Menoufia Governorate' building. Preparations for Nazif's visit to Menoufia cost some LE 1.2 million, sources in Menoufia governorate said.
