PARIS, April 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Both French President Jacques Chirac and his visiting Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak favored on Monday to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiation.

    The two presidents expressed the stance at a joint news conference at the Elysee Palace after their talks in Paris in the wake of the United States' backing Israeli unilateral plan to pullout from the Gaza Strip but keep settlements in the West Bank.

    Chirac considered the Israeli withdrawal as positive, but noted that the pullout should be made in negotiation with the Palestinians and lead to an independent Palestinian state.

    "Naturally, the withdrawal is positive but it will be positive on conditions," he said.

    The plan should be integrated into the Middle East roadmap peace plan developed by the international Quartet of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. It should be carried out with a complete consent of the Palestinian Authorities and should be regarded as a phase in the process of establishing an independent Palestinian state, he stated.

    The problems of the region, including those relating to Israel-Palestine borders and the return of Palestinian refugees, should be resolved by way of negotiation, he said.

    For his part, Mubarak condemned the assassination of Hamas' leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi by Israel, affirming "Israel was engaged in an organized provocation process to assassinate Palestinian organizations' leaders."

    According to Mubarak, Israel "did everything to avoid direct negotiations with the Palestinian authorities."

    He called on the Quartet to take actions in order to restart the negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians, for the Mideast peace plan "road map" which foresees an independent Palestinian state has almost become a waste paper.

    During his six-day visit to the United States last week, Mubarak saw disagreements with US President George W. Bush, who gave blessing last Wednesday to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan from the Palestinians.

    The French president said at the news conference: "No one can pre-empt the outcome of what to be decided by negotiations, the only way leads to the peace."

    "All other solutions will not lead to peace nor security," he added.

    Concerning the Iraqi issue, Chirac reiterated his proposal for a pan-Iraqi conference, in the style of the Bonn conference on Afghanistan issue in November 2001.

    The French and Egyptian presidents showed unanimous agreement on all subjects they mentioned at the meeting, as Chirac said during Mubarak's last visit to Paris on March 5 that the approaches, analysis and conclusions were completely identic between Egypt and France. Enditem