Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has invited newly re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Cairo for talks aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process, state-run Akhbar al-Yom weekly said.Such a meeting, which would be Sharon's first with an Arab leader since he took office nearly two years ago, was announced by Sharon's office on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Saada, editor in chief of Akhbar al-Yom, wrote of the telephone call Mubarak made to Sharon to congratulate him on his Tuesday re-election and "his invitation to meet with him in Cairo to discuss (ways of) stopping the violence and relaunching the peace process."

Saada, who is a confidant of Mubarak, did not give further details.

Meanwhile, the official MENA agency reported Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher "has denied that a date was set for the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Egypt," thus indirectly confirming that an invitation had been issued.

Sharon's office announced on Wednesday that Mubarak had proposed when the two spoke on the telephone that they meet after the premier formed a new government.

Mubarak told Al-Ittihad newspaper in Dubai on Tuesday that he felt Arab governments had to "deal with the Israeli prime minister in a new way" in order to relaunch the Middle East peace process.

Speaking of Sharon's imminent re-election, the Egyptian leader said it would be "inopportune to stay quiet."

Mubarak's comments were in marked contrast to previous comments during the 28-month-old Palestinian uprising or intifada. Last July, he accused Sharon of deliberately "torpedoing all initiatives".

Egypt recalled its ambassador to Israel in November 2000 just after the start of the intifada, condemning what it termed "excessive use of force" by the Israeli army in the Palestinian territories.

Since then relations between the two countries have been cool, although Egypt has been trying to play the role of an intermediary to revive the peace process.

In parallel to its overture towards Sharon, Cairo has undertaken efforts to make the Palestinian factions agree to a temporary halt to attacks against Israeli civilians in order to allow a resumption of peace talks.

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Hosni Mubarak