U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due in Egypt next Tuesday to start her Middle East tour, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported Friday.

Rice will pay a visit to Egypt Tuesday for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit, MENA said.

Egypt will be the first stop of Rice's Middle East tour, during which Rice is also expected to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

According to MENA, Rice will also meet with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states on the sidelines of her visit, along with foreign ministers from Egypt and Jordan.

Participants will probe the situation in the Middle East, topped by the Palestinian cause, said MENA.

Source: Xinhua