CAIRO, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks on Wednesday with visiting EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Susanna Terstal on reviving peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Shoukry briefed Terstal on the tireless efforts exerted by Egypt in a bid to bring the Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiation table, said Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez in a statement.
The Egyptian top diplomat highlighted Egypt's joint efforts with international partners in this regard, citing the latest quartet meeting of Shoukry and the foreign ministers of Jordan, France and Germany in Cairo.
The quartet meeting aimed to "push ahead with peace efforts and to create an environment that helps urge the Palestinian and Israeli sides to engage in a serious and constructive negotiation path," said the statement.
Egypt and its peacemaking partners seek to reach a just and comprehensive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the UN-backed two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to the statement.
Shoukry "expressed his confidence in the continuation of European support for the Palestinian cause at all levels."
For her part, the EU special envoy briefed Shoukry on the results of her latest contacts with the various parties concerned and elaborated on the European vision of reviving negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Terstal expressed her aspiration for continuous consultation and cooperation with Egypt regarding Middle East peace, Hafez said.
Shoukry and Terstal further discussed the progress of inter-Palestinian reconciliation and the financial issues facing the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that provides support for some 5.7 million Palestinian refugees as stated by the agency.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades, following the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. Enditem
