Rome--Egypt and Italy will sign 15 separate agreements when President Hosni Mubarak meets with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday. The trip to Italy will be Mubarak's first foreign visit after surgery in Germany in early March. Agreements will be signed by seven ministers from Egypt and their Italian on economic, development, cultural, educational, scientific, health, construction, and vocational training issues, as well as others. Egypt and Israel will reach an agreement about development on Egypt's northwest coast, which accounts for a fifth of Egypt's total area. Italy has agreed to provide technical and financial support to development projects there, in addition to helping remove landmines left over from World War II. Another agreement will relate to developing human resources and creating job opportunities, while another will launch the first direct line for maritime shipping between Alexandria and Venice. Egyptians hope that this will help open European markets to Egypt. The two parties will take steps to form an Egyptian-Italian university. During Mubarak's visit, aides will chose a location and a board of trustees for the university. Egyptian and Italian officials will also discuss cooperation between Italy, Egypt and Sudan on developing the south. Other agreements include renewing the framework for scientific cooperation, encouraging Italian language in Egyptian universities, and modernizing governmental administrations in Egypt. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
