CAIRO, July 7 (UPI) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syria's Bashar Assad met in Cairo Monday to discuss the Palestinian cause, Iraq and other key regional issues.
Egyptian sources said Assad arrived early Monday accompanied by Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam and Foreign Minister Farouk Sharaa, and immediately opened talks with Mubarak on the first round of peace talks known as the "road map" between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as European efforts to include Lebanon and Syria in the peace effort.
The sources said Mubarak briefed Assad on Egypt's efforts to ease existing tension between Damascus and Washington, which worsened following the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Washington accused Damascus of sheltering former Iraqi officials, developing chemical weapons and supporting terrorist groups including the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Mubarak he is hopeful Israeli and Palestinian steps to place the road map on track would succeed. He called on Israel to free Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from Palestinian territories.
