Brussels, 14/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU has not yet taken any measures to freeze the assets and European bank accounts of the former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, but has not ruled out doing so if requested by the Egyptian authorities. “So far we have not received any official request from the Egyptian side. We will if necessary take the appropriate measures”, commented a spokesperson for Catherine Ashton on Monday, pointing out that the freezing of the assets of former Tunisian president Ben Ali and his wife had been done in close consultation with the Tunisian authorities. The spokesperson said the Commission was in contact with the Egyptian authorities and an answer would be given when the matter had been discussed. Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said on Monday that he favoured the idea of freezing Mubarak's assets. The British trade minister, Vince Cable, also says that Hosni Mubarak's assets outside Egypt should be subject to “concerted international action”. Switzerland has already frozen his Swiss bank accounts.
Visit by Catherine Ashton still uncertain. Catherine Ashton's spokesperson said that Ashton was determined to go to Egypt as soon as possible to meet the provisional government but no date had yet been fixed. Ashton has been mandated by the European Council to go to Egypt and “we are in close contact with the Egyptian authorities to see when this trip can take place”. Ashton is travelling to North Africa and the Middle East this week, but it is not yet certain that she will stop off in Cairo.
On Tuesday 15 February, she will travel to Israel and Palestine to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (whose cabinet resigned on Monday and who has been instructed by President Abbas to form a new government). On Wednesday 16 February, Ashton will be in Lebanon and Jordan. (H.B./transl.fl)