Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began talks with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states on Tuesday at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The closed-door meeting is expected to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, including the stalled Mideast peace process, Iraq, Gulf security, nuclear non-proliferation and terrorism, according to Egypt's official MENA news agency.
Arab nations hope the talks will be more serious to adopt a new vision to achieve a true leap in the efforts to revive the stalled Mideast peace process.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, who chaired the meeting, will present Egypt's views on U.S. proposal to hold an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Abul Gheit and Rice are expected to give a press conference at the end of the meetings.
On July 16, U.S. President George W. Bush suggested an international conference later this year to group Israel, the Palestinians and some neighboring Arab states to help resume the stalled Middle East peace talks.
Rice and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Egypt earlier in the morning in a rare duo visit to the Middle East to rally support for the American overture to hold an international peace conference to impel the Middle East peace process.
The Arab countries expressed their supports to the U.S. initiative to hold the international peace conference during an Arab foreign minister emergency meeting held Monday in Cairo.
After meeting in Egypt, Rice and Gates will also visit Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories during their four-day Mideast visit.
