Egyptian Consul in Lebanon Ahmed Helmi on Friday met with Hussein Ezz Eddin, Hizbullah director of Arab affairs, within the context of Egyptian efforts to improve relations with the Shiite resistance party. Sources said the meeting had been called for by the Egyptian government via a mediator to prepare for a second scheduled meeting between Egyptian Ambassador in Lebanon Mohamed al-Bedwei and Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah. An earlier meeting was reportedly held between the two sides that had not been made public. Friday's meeting did not broach the subject of the so-called "Hizbullah cell" in Egypt, an issue that Ezz Eddin described as “the compass by which future relations between the two sides will be orientated.” Ezz Eddin also reportedly inquired about recent criticism of Hizbullah leveled by Egypt's Foreign Ministry, to which Helmi responded by pointing to "different viewpoints within the ministry regarding this issue.” Translated from the Arabic Edition.
