CAIRO, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and visiting South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola met on Thursday to discuss the regional situation and efforts to address the Palestinian issue, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
During the meeting, Sisi and Lamola discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, urging the international community to assume responsibility and act in a unified and decisive manner to ease regional tensions and prevent the conflict from expanding, the statement said.
The two sides also explored ways to strengthen cooperation among Global South nations, particularly in light of South Africa's upcoming presidency of the Group of 20 (G20).
Sisi emphasized the importance of prioritizing Africa's development on the global agenda and of leveraging the new African Union membership in the G20.
For his part, Lamola expressed appreciation for Egypt's role in supporting crisis-stricken countries through political and humanitarian initiatives. ■