In other words, a lasting peace will not stand a chance of achieving a solid footing as long as Israel, alone out of all the nations in the region, continues to maintain a nuclear arsenal closed to international inspection and persists in amassing every conceivable type of weaponry in order to secure for itself absolute military superiority. Egypt will not cease attempts to end a strategic disparity that flouts every concept of peace and stability and works against all the efforts being dedicated to reaching a comprehensive settlement, leaving the door open to Israeli military adventurism in the future. At the same time, Egypt, as an active participant in the peace process, will continue to work ceaselessly towards furthering this process. If President Mubarak expressed his disappointment that the meeting between Presidents Clinton and Assad at the beginning of this week failed to set a date for the resumption of Israeli-Syrian negotiations, he nevertheless urged optimism and persistence in exploring every avenue possible to move the peace process forward. This stance, reflecting Egypt's desire to overcome all obstacles to the peace process, a desire shared by the US, underscores the importance of Egyptian-US relations.
Similar considerations apply in the case of Sudan.
Egypt remains committed to the joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative aimed at reaching a comprehensive reconciliation between all Sudanese parties on the basis of the preservation of the territorial integrity of Sudan. In the US, however, there is a body of opinion favouring the partition of Sudan. In addition, objections have been raised against the Egyptian-Libyan initiative on the grounds that it represents an Arab standpoint, and it has been said that, simply because Libya is one of its sponsors it will inevitably result in the favouring of a particular faction. Egypt is convinced that the partition of Sudan will rebound dangerously on all Sudan's neighbours, not least by heightening the possibility of renewed civil warfare among the southern Sudanese themselves. Egypt's dedication to regional stability is what fires our continued insistence upon peaceful diplomacy and negotiation as the only viable conflict solving mechanism, sustaining our commitment to a productive, forward-moving peace process.