Moscow, Oct 19, SPA -- Neither Syria nor Lebanon should be allowedto develop into a new focus of tension in the Middle East, Egypt's foreign minister said Wednesday. "We have a difficult situation in Iraq and in thePalestinian territory," Ahmed Aboul Gheit said. "Wecannot allow another hotspot of tension to develop. "Regarding the Palestinian problem, it has been a hotspot for 60 years already. You can add the situation inIraq to that problem," he added. "We have to relieve thistension at some point because the Middle East needsstability, development and peace ...stability and peacewill naturally lead to a change in the relationship of theIslamic Arabic world with the West." Aboul Gheit's meetings with Russian Foreign MinisterSergey Lavrov and other officials in the Russian capitalwere expected to focus on the Middle East peace process,the situation in Iraq and the prospect of U.N. sanctionsagainst Syria, which has long been allied with Russia. Aboul Gheit denied that his country was mediating betweenDamascus and Washington. Instead, he said, Egypt wasoffering analysis and advice in order to prevent newtensions in the Middle East. He was cautious about developments in Iraq. "The political process in Iraq is proceeding, but allkinds of violent acts are interfering with its normalcourse," Aboul Gheit was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. He added that it was important that a "normal,independent" government be established in Iraq, and saidthat foreign troops must be withdrawn.--SPA1510 Local Time 1210 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/297357