The logistics of arranging the visit of the Rainbow Warrior are complicated and it is necessary to have a wide range of different permissions from various authorities. Our Ambassador host at the Library was not joking when he warned that Egypt has a history of 5 thousand years of beaurocracy so they are very good at it! But through countless meetings, phone calls and endless lists of guests and visitors we have, thus far, been able to carry out all our planned activities with an open day, a visit of guests and teachers, environmentalists and students. All have to be shipped back and forth from the marina to the Warrior laying at anchor.

Egypt is a crucial stop in the campaign; one of the key countries where we want our message to really take root. Egypt, historically, geographically and politically is a key to work in the Arab world; it was the first country in the Middle East to official claim it was re-starting its nuclear programme and has been the key country, along with Iran, to support a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East.

A key activity was to hold a seminar called 'Steps Towards a Nuclear Free Middle East which we were holding jointly with the Institute for Peace Studies based at the Alexandria library. The seminar was hosted in the library - the Biblioteca Alexandrina - which is a beautiful building that looks out on the bay where, with a stretch, we could see the anchored Rainbow Warrior.

The seminar was in two sessions, the morning being on Energy and the afternoon on nuclear weapons. The seminar was introduced by, Ambassador Maher- president of the Institute for Peace Studies and Jo and the morning session was moderated by the Ambassador, the afternoon by Jo.

We knew that the morning session would be more contentious. It was opened by a speech from the vice-minister of electricity and energy who, or course, supported the country's announced need for nuclear power, while, also supporting the need to encourage renewable energy.

Oliver Schaefer from the European Renewable Energy Scenario (EREC) reported briefly on the findings of the Global Energy Scenario that Greenpeace and EREC had recently published and also outlined the disadvantages of nuclear power. This provided me with a good platform to then specifically address the cost of the nuclear proposal in Egypt along with outlining the huge renewable resources that Egypt had as well as the great potential for energy efficiency (this paper can be found on the web site in Arabic and English). The reality is that nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and a threat to the proliferation of nuclear weapons - an issue that was to be discussed in the afternoon. hreat made a useful prelude to the afternoon's discussions.

The discussion following ranged from the first intervention saying that it was mandatory that Egypt had nuclear power, through to an editor in chief loudly demanding that as Egypt was surrounded by enemies they not only needed nuclear power but also weapons as well, through to the more considered view that, although nuke shouldn't be rejected there were many other resources etc. We had good praise for the initiative of wanting to engage a debate, not tell people what to do.

In the afternoon, there were presentations from Ambassador Mohammed Shaker who has been Egypt's disarmament ambassador at the UN as well as chair of the 1995 NPT conference who called for a conference where we could bring out all the proposals for a NWFZ and WMDFZ dust them off and start talking about them. Rebecca made some very good points on ways to move forward in the region in the context of a post-cold-war world and changes in the political situation in the region with interesting proposals for including Israel and Iran and pointing out that it will be difficult but not impossible.

It is important to stress that Greenpeace is not in Egypt, nor indeed anywhere on the tour, to 'tell people what to do', what we are aiming to do is to engage in a dialogue about different energy choices - there are cleaner, safer and cheaper sources of energy than nuclear - and to raise the idea of a Nuclear Free Middle East as a key way to increase peace and security in the region. There is no doubt that there are people who disagree with us, but that is no reason not to have a discussion. One of the key problems in the region is that diplomacy and negotiation have broken down and there is increased rhetoric and tension that could lead inexorably to conflict. This is not the way forward. Jaw, Jaw not War War is an old saying but really needs to apply here.

After the seminar we had press visit the ship the people attending the visited the ship and we had the opportunity to talk more informally with some of the participants.

All in all it was an extremely successful day. We achieved our objective of engaging a debate on nuclear power and renewables - but more importantly made the key connection between the politics, nuclear power and weapons. We have much to do - but this has been an extremely good start....

Onward to Israel where the dialogue must continue. Israel must urgently join the discussions for a Nuclear Free Middle East.

Paul