Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said today he hoped the United States-led bombing of Afghanistan would end before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts in mid-November.
"I hope with all my heart that the campaign is halted before Ramadan starts," Mr Mubarak said.
Mr Mubarak is in Spain to attend a Euro-Mediterranean forum in Majorca and was speaking via an interpreter during a news conference after talks with Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
Asked how sensible it would be to continue the bombing of Afghanistan during Ramadan given Islamic sensitivities, Mr Mubarak said: "I hope this campaign ends before Ramadan, but in military operations we can't guarantee what the situation is on the ground and whether these operations can be stopped in a way that would (not) benefit the other side."
Mr Aznar also said he hoped the campaign would be over quickly, but added that it was important to remember that the main goal was to eradicate terrorism.
Earlier today, the president of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, called for a humanitarian pause to attacks on Afghanistan during the fasting month.