Egypt has turned down an invitation by U.S. President George W. Bush to attend the G8 summit as an observer next month in protest of the U.S.’s ‘Greater Middle East Initiative,’ according to news reports.
The G8 summit is a meeting of the world’s eight economic powers and will take place in Georgia, U.S., on June 8-10.
Speaking on behalf of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Foreign Minister Ahmad Mahir said in a televised interview on May 24 that Egypt was opposed to the plan because it is a foreign imposition, and would thus not be effective. Furthermore, he said the U.S. proposal failed to propose a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The initiative, which addresses democratization, economic liberalization and other reforms, was widely criticized by Arab states and was a main topic of discussion at the Arab summit in Tunis last weekend.
Tunisia has also declined Bush’s invitation, but Mahir said that other Arab countries planning to attend the summit as observers, including Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, would emphasize their disdain for the plan and he urged them to defend the reform plan forged by the Arab League in Tunis, according to reports.
The U.S. has denied that it wants to impose its own values on the region, insisting that its intentions are altruistic.