US President George W. Bush is wrapping up his Middle East tour on Saturday with meetings in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, where he plans to meet with key allies to discuss current peace efforts and the fight against Al Qaeda .
He was to have met with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora over the current political and sectarian tensions gripping the nation, but the Lebanese Prime Minister declined a meeting, saying he had other obligations that needed to be dealt with.
Bush is meeting with leaders from Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq and the Palestinian Authority.
The American president also plans to address the World Economic Forum on the Middle East before returning to Washington. His aides say Bush will be discussing advancing the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, encouraging democracy and ridding Pakistan and Afghanistan of Taliban and Al Qaeda strongholds on their borders.
The Egypt stop comes after Bush’s unsuccessful attempt in Saudi Arabia to get the Saudis to produce more oil. He was told by Riyadh that “supply and demand are inbalance”.
This is the second time in four months the Saudis have refused a Bush request to pump more oil. Panapress .
