Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair met for talks with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak on Tuesday, with the latter underscoring the importance of preparatory talks preceding a US-backed international peace conference in November, according to dpa. "This (peace) conference is an opportunity that should not be lost," Mubarak reportedly told the former British premier during talks in Ras al-Tin Palace in the coastal city of Alexandria, presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad said. A breakthrough is needed, said the president, stressing that the upcoming parley, called for by US President George W Bush, should not be merely ceremonial. "It is essential that the meeting leads to setting a cornerstone for a just and comprehensive peace or else the negative implications could affect the entire region, foment angry sentiments and depression ... the force of extremism will mount in the region and beyond," Mubarak was quoted as saying. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the standoff in the Middle East peace process topped Tuesday's agenda, with Mubarak confirming that Egypt is following up talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert.
