President Hosni Mubarak will not attend an African Union summit, which opens Sunday in Uganda, the official Middle East News Agency reported.
The President has delegated Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif to represent Egypt at the summit, which is expected to address the sensitive issue of sharing Nile waters and Somalia.
In an effort to discount rumours over the President's health, government officials on July 14 cited the President's packed schedule, including the African summit, as evidence of his continuing vigour.
On Wednesday, Presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad again dismissed reports that the President was ill and said his staff were "out of breath" trying to keep up with his schedule.