Mubarak denies Israel's foreign minister invited to Egypt

Mubarak denies Israel's foreign minister invited to Egypt Cairo - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday denied that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had been invited to Egypt.

"I think that the Israeli prime minister, (Benjamin Netanyahu) will come to Egypt in May," Mubarak said in a speech to mark the national holiday of Sinai Liberation Day. "But he will come alone, without another minister."

In a statement released to reporters on Thursday, the Israeli Embassy in Cairo said that Omar Suleiman, the head of Egypt's intelligence agency, had met with Lieberman. Israeli newspapers on Thursday reported that Suleiman had invited Lieberman to Egypt during that meeting.

Mubarak flatly denied those reports in his remarks made in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia. "No one said this," the Egyptian president said.

Soon after Netanyahu formed his government and appointed Lieberman as his foreign minister in March, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said that Lieberman would not be invited to Egypt if he did not apologize for his past remarks.

On one occasion, Lieberman threatened to destroy the Aswan High Dam. On another, he said Mubarak could "go to hell" if he did not visit Israel.

"Mubarak never agreed to come here as president. He wants to talk to us? Let him come here. He doesn't want to talk to us? He can go to hell."

Mubarak has not visited Israel since he came to power in 1981. (dpa)

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