Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa on Tuesday described the Mideast peace process a "stalemate", which has not achieved any significant progress since it was relaunched at the Annapolis peace conference last November, local media reported.

Moussa made the remarks during his meeting with visiting Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country hosts the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU).

The AL chief said that Israel continued to build settlements, jeopardizing the peace course mapped out by the Mideast peace conference held in Annapolis, Maryland, in the United States.

Describing the situation in Gaza as unbearable due to the Israeli siege which led to the starvation of Palestinians there, Moussa urged the EU to take a stricter stance regarding Israel's harsh policies.

On the Lebanese issue, Moussa expressed his belief that the situation will not deteriorate any further at least for the time being.

On the upcoming Arab Summit, Moussa believed that all Arab countries will attend the summit to be held in the Syrian capital of Damascus late March, but not all heads of state will lead their countries' delegations.

Earlier in the day, Rupel also met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, expressing EU's keenness to push forward the Middle East peace process.

For his part, Abul Gheit said at a joint press conference with Rupel that Egypt is still conducting contacts with Israel, the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian Hamas faction to broker a truce.

No date, however, has been set as yet for a planned visit by Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to Israel, he added.

The top Egyptian diplomat also said the level of Egypt's representation at the Arab Summit in Damascus on March 29-30 is still under consideration.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2008)