Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak here Monday stressed the importance of dialogue in solving the Darfur issue, saying dialogue, not sanctions, should be the way to solving the current problem in the western Sudanese region.

President Mubarak made the remarks during a meeting with his visiting Sudanese counterpart Omer al-Bashir who arrived here earlier in the day, said Egypt's presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad.

Mubarak expressed belief that dialogue, not sanctions, is the only way to settling the Darfur crisis, while talking with Bashir about reports on referring a new draft resolution on sanctions against Sudan to the UN Security Council, according to Awad,

He noted that during the talks, President Mubarak listened to President Bashir's view on the hybrid UN and AU peacekeeping forces to Darfur and asserted Egypt's siding with all peace efforts in Sudan.

Egypt is participating in the African Union peacekeeping force to Darfur with 33 police men and 50 military officers as observers.

Awad further revealed that the two presidents' talks focused on three topics, including means of carrying out the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the Sudanese government and former southern Sudanese rebels on Jan. 9, 2005, the situation in Darfur, and the means of boosting Egyptian-Sudanese cooperation.

They announced their commitment to the framework of joint cooperation and integration between the two countries, added the spokesman.

Source: Xinhua