Egypt's Prez urges intensive efforts to calm Israeli-Palestinian tensions

Cairo: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has called for exerting intensive international efforts to achieve calm in the Palestinian territories amid the rising Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Sisi made the remarks on Wednesday during his talks with visiting US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency.

The meeting focused on a number of regional and international issues, including the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the statement said.

Sisi also called for halting unilateral measures and escalation in the conflict, while reaffirming the two-state solution as "the pathway toward achieving just and comprehensive peace for the benefit of the peoples of the region".

During the meeting, also attended by Egypt's Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki, Sisi emphasised "Egypt's commitment to further intensifying cooperation with the US in an array of areas, particularly in the military and security fields, the statement said.

Austin expressed Washington's appreciation of Egypt's key role in the Middle East as "a rational and responsible stabilising force", while underlining the US commitment to further strengthen its cooperation and strategic partnership with Egypt, particularly the defense cooperation.

Austin's visit to Egypt came following his visits to Jordan and Iraq where he met with leaders of both countries