Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi (R) meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 19, 2024. (Egyptian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)
CAIRO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed here on Thursday to intensify coordination and consultation on regional crises to ensure restoring peace and security in the Middle East.
During a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 11th Summit of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation, both sides condemned Israeli violations of Syrian territories, and urged an immediate cessation of these violations, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency.
Sisi stressed the necessity to maintain Syria's unity, independence and territorial integrity, the statement said.
He called for starting a Syrian political process that includes all segments of society and its forces to achieve national reconciliation and ensure the success of the transition process, the statement said.
For his part, Erdogan thanked Egypt for its efforts in mediating an agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict, and in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza, the statement said.
He said he agrees with Sisi that establishing an independent Palestinian state is the basic guarantee to restore regional peace and stability.
The two sides also discussed the situation in Libya, Sudan and Somalia, according to the statement. ■
