Sudqi Role Profile
 
 Prime Minister of Egypt Dr. Atif Mohammed Najib Al-Sidqi
 
 Born:  1933
 
 "Dialog is the main course for finding the truth and improving reality."
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 I was born in Egypt in 1933 to middle class parents. I was fortunate, in
 that I had the opportunity to attend college. After studying economics at
 the University of Cairo, I went on to law school. This was only the
 beginning of my ties to academia, ties that I would maintain for most of
 my life.
 
 After a few years in the private sector, I would return to the University
 of Cairo as a professor of law. I would hold this distinguished post
 until 1981, when I joined the National Audit Office.  Then, in November
 1986, I had the honor of being asked to be the fourth prime minister
 under the great President Hosni Mubarak. I was the second consecutive
 economist to be given this position. This was due to the sad condition of
 the Egyptian economy, which was to be my primary concern for the ten
 years I was in office. I was the longest serving prime minister in the
 history of Egypt, until being asked to resign from office on January 2, 
 1996.
 
 At the time of my appointment to the post of prime minister, I was an
 unknown even within my own country. I was generally well liked by my
 peers at the University, and considered a thinker. However, I had no
 experience with foreign affairs, and few diplomatic connections.
 Fortunately I proved equal to the task.
 
 As prime minister, I wielded much political might and answered only to
 President Mubarak.  My responsibilities focused heavily on domestic
 issues, especially the economy of Egypt. However, I also proved to be
 quite a negotiator, and serve my country often in this capacity. I was an
 effective negotiator because others saw me as forward looking, somewhat
 of a visionary. Also, I am a man of peace. My biggest domestic related
 achievement would be the stabilization of the Egyptian economy and the
 reduction of inflation. My greatest achievements in foreign policy would
 be the reestablishing of Egyptian ties with the Arab world (which were
 severed following the Camp David accords), and my role in the current
 Arab-Israeli peace process, which I am heavily in favor of.
 
 My political views are rarely evident, as they will never contradict what
 the great President Mubarak says. Like President Mubarak, I am a member
 of the National Democratic Party. Primarily, I am a firm believer in
 peace, and seek diplomatic resolution to conflict whenever possible.
 These convictions were strengthened by a failed attempt on my life in
 1994, for which President Mubarak blamed Iran. Since that time, I have
 refused to negotiate with terrorists, as I feel that anyone holding a gun
 during negotiations is not a person of reason.
 
 Within Egypt, I believe strong measures are necessary to aid economic
 development. To this end, I have done unpopular things such as raise
 taxes and prices. However, President Mubarak has been in power since
 Sadat, and he supports these efforts. Other areas that I emphasize within
 Egypt are education and health. During my years in office, Egypt has seen
 substantial improvements in its literacy rate, and a significant decline
 in its population growth rate.
 
 My convictions on foreign policy are best summed by the following
 statement which I made:  Stability is the foundation that will allow
 Egyptian society to advance in all fields.  To this end, my first acts as
 prime minister was to reestablish economic and diplomatic ties with the
 rest of the Arab world. In fact, at the current time Egypt is often
 considered the leader of the Arab world, due to our good relations with
 almost all of the Middle East nations.

As for Israel, I believe that peace is inevitable and beneficial to all
 involved. I was once quoted as saying, We must live with the reality;
 peace imposes itself and must succeed.  I believe firmly that the basis
 for any peace in the Middle East is the return of Arab territories
 occupied by Israel in 1967. I feel that United Nations resolutions 242
 and 338 are the cornerstone of any comprehensive settlement in the region.
 
 During my time in office, I have managed to stay in the favor of
 President Mubarak and the rest of the Cabinet. This has allowed me great
 freedom to establish political ties with many countries. Specifically, I
 have established substantial ties with the West, especially the United
 States. In fact, some have insinuated at times that I am a US puppet.
 Also significant are Egypts ties with the rest of the Arab world, though
 ties with Syria and Iran are still somewhat weak.
 
 All countries that negotiate with Egypt must understand that our motives
 are simple:  we seek economic growth and improvement in the Egyptian
 quality of life through peace. To achieve this, Egypt is prepared to talk
and deal with anyone who entertains similar interests, regardless of who
 those nations may be.