Egyptian minister to visit Israel

Egypt is rallying support to relaunch the Middle East peace process

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher is to make a rare trip to Israel next week for talks on Middle East peace.

Mr Maher will meet top officials including the Israeli prime minister during the one-day trip on Monday.

Egypt has been stepping up efforts in recent weeks to help break the deadlock between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Egyptian officials have been mediating truce talks with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, but the talks ended on Wednesday without progress.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said Mr Maher would meet Mr Shalom on Monday, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Moshe Katsav.

Israel radio said Mr Maher would also travel to the Palestinian territories.

Flurry of diplomacy

Mr Maher's visit follows talks in Geneva last week between Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

It was the first high ranking meeting between the two countries since Ariel Sharon's government came to power.

Egypt and Jordan are the only Arab countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel but relations have been strained since the start of the Palestinian intifada in September 2000, when both countries withdrew their ambassadors.

Egypt held talks in Cairo earlier this month to try to negotiate a ceasefire offer from Palestinian militants, but the talks ended without a deal.

German Foreign Minister Joshka Fischer has been in the Middle East this week, meeting Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders.

On Wednesday he met the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, who again spoke of his willingness to meet Mr Sharon.

Israeli and Palestinian officials have been trying to arrange a meeting since Mr Qurei took office in October.