Wednesday, November 3, 1999

CAIRO [MENL] -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began medical tests on Tuesday at a French military hospital in a trip that officials are trying hard to present as a working visit.

Staying away from the summit in Oslo with U.S. President Clinton, Israel's Prime Minister Barak, and the Palestinian leader Yaser Arafat, Mubarak arrived in Paris and held talks with French President Jacques Chirac and officials said he plans to meet other French leaders. Officials did not say how long Mubarak would remain in Paris.

Information Minister Safwat Sherif said Mubarak flew to Paris to undergo tests at the Val de Grace military hospital following an ear infection. "Mr. Mubarak will make a private visit of a few days for medical tests following an ear infection he picked up last week," Sherif said. "During his visit Mr. Mubarak will hold talks with French officials."

But Egyptian diplomatic sources told the Al Hayat daily on Tuesday that the Mubarak visit was planned for last month. But the president's reelection -- in a campaign in which he was the only candidate -- and the formation of his Cabinet delayed the trip.

The sources said Mubarak will not stay in the hospital during his visit to Paris. Instead, he will stay at a hotel.

Earlier this year, Mubarak was reported to have been stricken with cancer, an assertion that quickly denied by officials. Some diplomatic sources, however, asserted that the 71-year-old president has not been feeling well over the last few months.