(RTTNews) - A meeting of foreign ministers of Mediterranean states, planned to be held in Istanbul next week, was postponed Monday after Egypt refused to share the same table with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

As leader of opposition in the Israeli parliament last year, the hawkish Lieberman's speech criticizing Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak sparked outrage in Egypt.

According to Israeli press reports, Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit rejected the presence of his Israeli counterpart in the Turkish capital because Lieberman said in the Knesset speech that Mubarak "can go to hell".

Ynet news reported that the Egyptian objection will be damaging for Cairo since the European Union-Mediterranean conference brings together 47 countries in the region under the European Union's initiative.

Other Arab countries also oppose the participation of Lieberman, a harsh critic of Egypt, in light of his political views.