As President Hosni Mubarak is set to confer with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome on Tuesday, Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini supported Egypt's call for eradicating nuclear arms from the world in general and the Middle East in particular. "We have called for a world free from nuclear weapons in the world and we support Egypt's initiative for a nuclear-free Middle East," Frattini said on Monday. He added that his country was concerned about Iran's nuclear programme, pointing out that the Islamic Republic's possession of a nuclear bomb would trigger a nuclear race in the region. "However, there should be a diplomatic solution to the Iranian stand-off. A military way out could be a disaster for the Middle East region," he stated, according to Egypt's first Middle east News Agency. On his first trip abroad since undergoing surgery in March, Mubarak starts today a three-day visit to Italy where he will hold talks with Berlusconi and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. The meeting with Berlusconi will be the third Egyptian-Italian summit since the two countries launched a strategic partnership in Rome in 2008. "The talks will focus mainly on means of boosting ties in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, training Egyptian labourers and supporting small and medium sized enterprises," presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad said. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, meanwhile, said that Mubarak and the Italian officials would sign 18 co-operation pacts on energy, health, education, administrative development, seasonal immigration, childcare and co-operation with Africa. "The variety of sectors that Egypt and Italy co-operate in shows that both countries have strong ties," Abul Gheit said. He added that Mubarak's talks with the Italians would also focus on preparations for the Mediterranean Union summit scheduled to be held in Barcelona later this year. Ashraf Rashid, the Egyptian Ambassador in Rome, said his country and Italy would sign an agreement to develop Egypt's north-west coastal region [of the Western Desert], which accounts for a fifth of Egypt's total land 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," Rashid stated. Another agreement is related to developing human resources and creating job opportunities, while another will launch the first contemporary direct line for maritime shipping between Alexandria and Venice. Egyptians hope that this will help open European markets to Egypt, according to the diplomat. "The two parties will take steps to form an Egyptian-Italian university. Other pacts cover renewing the framework for scientific co-operation, encouraging the learning of the Italian language in Egyptian universities, and modernising governmental administrations in Egypt," he concluded.
