GAZA, January 29, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - As part of his international visit after assuming office, president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) arrived in Cairo yesterday evening to meet the next morning with the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Al Ahram Egyptian newspaper mentioned yesterday that Abu Mazen will brief Mubarak about the results of the inter-Palestinian dialogue and the Israeli-Palestinian-American contacts, as well as the preparations to hold a peace conference in London in order to reanimate the peace process.

The newspaper considered the results of the inter-Palestinian dialogue has highlighted the necessity of intensifying the Egyptian and American support during this period, in order to reach an atmosphere of calmness in the region.

Suleiman Awwad, the spokesman of the Egyptian presidency, has asserted in a press conference in Cairo yesterday that president Abbas will hold an important meeting with president Mubarak, which will deal with the efforts to return to the negotiations table and arranging the Palestinian house.

Meanwhile, sources at the Egyptian presidency added that the Abbas- Mubarak talks will also tackle the re-initiation of the inter- Palestinian dialogue, as well as the Egyptian role in rehabilitating and training of Palestinian security forces.

Abu Mazen has met on Thursday with the Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah II, as King Abdullah told AFP that president Abbas "is capable of being an active and powerful peace partner between Israel and the Palestinians."

"We must give him [Abu Mazen] every support possible, so he could alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and arrange the Palestinian house to return back to the resuming negotiations," King Abdullah said.

The president continued rallying support for his political standpoints, during the tour he is making in several Arab and foreign countries, as he is expected to visit Russia and Turkey after leaving Egypt.

President Abbas has received encouragement for his steps by the Israeli government, as the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared that he is willing to offer what he called "many concession" concerning the Middle East peace, saying that the time has become possible to achieve a "historic" progress with the Palestinians in peacemaking.

In Moscow, the Russian president Vladimir Putin aims to give the Russian policy in the Middle East a new push by receiving president Abbas on Monday. The Russian policy have significantly deteriorated following the fall of the former Soviet Union.

Russian expressed its confidence in Abbas, which was elected president of the Palestinian Authority on January 9, that he will achieve "deep and democratic reforms" and obtain "the support of the international community and Israel."

Russia, the member of the international Quartet committee, which includes also the United States, European Union and United Nations, has declared its readiness to further cooperate and enhance the Russian-Palestinian relations, after years of demanding the PA to "fight terrorism" to maintain good relations with Israel.(© Copyright 2001-2004 IPC 01/29/05)