Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday held talks with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the latest developments of the Palestinian issue.
Mubarak discussed with Abbas means of promoting the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, said the Egyptian MENA news agency.
The two leaders are expected to review the outcome of a recent visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres to Egypt.
Since the U.S.-brokered Annapolis conference on Mideast peace held in November 2007, Israel and the Palestinians have launched intensive talks to agree on the outstanding permanent status issues.
As little tangible progress has been made since the Annapolis conference, expectations are lowering for Israel and the Palestinians to clinch a comprehensive peace deal within 2008 as they pledged.
Mubarak and Abbas, who arrived here on Sunday for a two-day visit to Egypt, also tackled the ongoing Egyptian mediation efforts to help heal the rift among rival Palestinian factions, especially between Hamas and Fatah.
After holding a series of separate bilateral talks with representatives of some 13 Palestinian factions, Egypt offered a plan that envisions the formation of a unity government replacing the feuding Hamas administration of Gaza Strip and the Fatah-backed government of the West Bank.
The Egyptian proposal also calls on the Palestinians to agree on holding early elections and reform their security services in the two territories.
A comprehensive Palestinian reconciliation dialogue is expected to kick off in Cairo in November.
Source:Xinhua
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