Egypt retains the right to review the security arrangements stipulated in the 1979 peace treaty signed with Israel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi said in a television interview.
On the Dream 2 satellite channel on Saturday, al-Arabi said all the security arrangements can be amended upon the agreement of the signatories. Under the agreement Egypt maintains limited military presence in Sinai, but he said that Sinai is not a demilitarized zone.
If Israel once described ex-president Hosni Mubarak as a “treasure” because he was not firm on some matters, then this no longer holds after the 25 January revolution, he said.
He added that committees at the Foreign Ministry study all the ideas that arise on the political scene.
Asked about the prices of Egyptian natural gas exports to Israel, al-Arabi said it was a technical issue within the remit of the Petroleum Ministry, but added, "Any issue is negotiable."
Egyptian media have reported that the government exports natural gas to Israel at prices lower than the cost of production, claiming that this arrangement is stipulated in the peace agreement.
