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Cairo: Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak stayed away from an Arab mini-summit in Libya to avoid an encounter with Syria's president, government officials said on Tuesday.
The summit in Tripoli on Tuesday was initiated by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to work out an Arab response to a French proposal to set up a European, Middle Eastern and North African strategic bloc.
"In view of the President's engagements and tight schedule, he cannot participate in this summit," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul Gait said.
But others said Mubarak dodged the summit to avoid a reconciliation with Bashar Al Assad.
Relations between Egypt and Syria have been strained since the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah boycotted an Arab summit in March.
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