CAIRO, Jan. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas isdue to arrive here Friday as part of a foreign tour to seek international help to restart the long-stalled Mideast peace process, a Palestinian official said Thursday.

    Earlier in the day, Abbas arrived in the Jordanian capital Amman, kicking off his first foreign tour after winning the Jan. 9 presidential election which will also see him travel to Cairo,Moscow and Ankara.

    Mohammad Sobeih, the Palestinian permanent representative to the Arab League, said Abbas is expected to brief Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the talks he has held with Palestinian militant groups for securing a ceasefire with Israel.

    The two leaders will also discuss Israeli Prime Minister ArielSharon's Gaza with drawal plan, under which Israel will pull out forces and Jewish settlers from the coastal strip later this year,Sobeih said.

    Egypt, a key regional mediator and the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has intensified efforts to help the Palestinians and Israelis to move forward to end more than four years of bloodshed. Enditem