AFP - The Egyptian authorities have asked several European countries to freeze assets of former senior officials of the regime of Hosni Mubarak, but not the deposed president himself, and the issue will be addressed by the entire EU on Tuesday at a meeting in Brussels.
Paris was seized by the Egyptian authorities "a request to freeze assets of former Egyptian officials," said AFP Monday the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign AffairsBernard Valero.
"We consider this request and we will cooperate well with the Egyptian authorities," added the spokesman stating that it "does not cover former President Hosni Mubarak nor members of his family."
In London, British Foreign Minister William Hague also said to have "received a request from the Egyptian government to freeze the assets of several ancient Egyptian officials.
"We will of course cooperate" with the Egyptian authorities "working with EU and international partners as we did in the case of Tunisia," saidHague, referring to the gel by the European Union of assets of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family.
"If there is evidence of misuse or illegal use of public funds, we will take firm and swift action," he assured the chief of British diplomacy.
The same request to freeze assets of former officials was made by the Egyptian government in the United States, said a senior State Department official in Washington also said it was not about Mr.Mubarak.
At the request of Great Britain in particular, the EU finance ministers have decided to put the issue of a possible freezing of assets of seven former Egyptian officials on the menu at a meeting Tuesday that they must have in Brussels, told AFP a diplomatic source.
"There are six or seven Egyptians on the list, but it does not definitively Mubarak," she said.
The EU will also discuss aid to countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
"I asked what was mentioned together, and I know it will be tomorrow, the situation in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt in particular, to examine the financial and economic aspects is ie at a time, investment opportunities and support, including the European Investment Bank, through the various development agencies in each of our countries, "said French Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde.
We need to "see how we can all support the democratic movement that is taking root in these countries," she added.
Germany has also announced it was approached by Egypt with a request to freeze assets.
"A request for assistance from the Egyptian authorities concerning the freezing of assets of former members of the Egyptian government and parliament came to us," he told AFP a spokesman of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We are reviewing this request," he added.
None of the three capitals has detailed the immediate amount of the assets concerned or the personalities involved.
The name of Hosni Mubarak, who left the presidency of Egypt on Friday after 30 years in power was not mentioned either in London and Berlin. According to the British press, Mr.Mubarak holds millions of euros of assets in Britain.
Switzerland, she decided on Friday to freeze with immediate effect "the assets that could detain Mr. Mubarak and his entourage.
