Lebanon PM cancels Egypt talks with Bush: White House

Sat May 17, 2008 12:34pm EDT
 
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RIYADH (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has cancelled talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Egypt on Sunday so that he can deal with Lebanon's political crisis, the White House said on Friday.

Bush, who vowed last week to stand by Siniora and his pro-Western government after they were dealt a military blow by Hezbollah, was due to meet the prime minister on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Red Sea port of Sharm el-Sheikh.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe, accompanying Bush on a visit to Saudi Arabia during a Middle East tour, said Siniora had dropped out of the talks "because of the situation on the ground" in Lebanon.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Elizabeth Piper)

 

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