US Presidnet, George Bush, has said Syria and Iran must end their "interference" in Lebanese politics, as he ended his Middle East tour.
"It’s important to encourage the holding of immediate and unconditional presidential elections according to the Lebanese constitution," Bush said on Wednesday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
"And to make it clear to Syria, Iran and their allies they must end their interference and efforts to undermine the process," he said.
Bush arrived in Egypt from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, and headed straight into talks with Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, on a three-hour visit.
In a press conference, Bush said Iraq’s government "isn’t perfect" but "progress" was being made on political reconciliation.
He called for Arab leaders to get behind Fouad Siniora, Lebanon’s prime minister, and said that "nations in the neighbourhood" were willing to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace deal.
Mubarak endorsed US hopes for an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan concluding before the end of 2008, and said he will work hand-in-hand with the US and other nations.
Bush urged greater political openness in Egypt, but did not directly criticise the Egyptian government for what the US has previously noted as a lack of political freedoms.
"I’m absolutely confident that people in the Middle East are working on building a society based on justice," Bush said.
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