President Hosni Mubarak will leave Sharm el-Sheikh for the first time since his return to Egypt following a successful surgery in Germany 28 days ago. He plans to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Second Field Army headquarters in Ismailia to mark the 28th anniversary of the liberation of Sinai. The festivities will include songs celebrating the president's successful surgery and President Mubarak will deliver a speech tomorrow on the liberation of Sinai. He will highlight the Egyptian army's role in the liberation and will discuss other broader Arab issues, such as the recent Israeli law allowing the deportation of Palestinians to Gaza. Mubarak is expected to receive several presidents in the coming few days, including Syrian President Bashar el-Assad, who announced that he would visit Egypt during the last Arab summit in the Libyan city of Sert. Meanwhile, in statements to the press during the North Sinai governorate's celebrations, Mourad Mohamed Mouafi, governor of North Sinai, said his governorate needs to address its problems in a different way. He added that North Sinai not only suffers from torrential rains, but also from confrontations with Palestinians who attempt to enter into Sinai, as well as other border problems. The Ministry of International Cooperation allocated a subsidy of LE43 million to North Sinai, but the interior minister refused to transfer the money to the governorate, said Mouafi. "I complained to him, but to no avail," he added. A recent study by the Cabinet of Minister's Center for Future Studies said development in Sinai is deteriorating and that there are several impediments to investment in Sinai. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
