Egypt's new Foreign Minister has said that his country won't be a tool for putting Palestinians under siege. After taking the oath of office before the military ruler, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, the newly appointed Mohamed Al Orabi refused to comment on Israel's concerns about his appointment.

Mr Al Orabi said that the Palestine issue is a priority for Egyptian foreign policy. "I assure all Palestinians that Egypt's policy towards the Palestine issue won't deviate from that of my predecessor Nabil Al Arabi; we will start from where he left off."

The Foreign Minister added that his staff will continue to coordinate with their opposite numbers in Gaza on the complete opening of the Rafah border crossing to facilitate the passage of individuals. He noted that Egypt is keen to pursue the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, stressing that Egypt will be restored to its leading role at an Arab, Muslim, African and international level.