Sisi, Merkel urge resumption of Palestinian-Israeli talks sponsored by US

CAIRO - 29 January 2020: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday agreed on the need to open dialogue channels to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations sponsored by the United States, a day after Trump announced his proposed peace plan.

Trump's long-awaited peace plan on Middle East gives Israel the right to annex West Bank settlements and to have Jerusalem as its capital, a move that initially angered many Arab countries when announced late in 2017.

In a phone call, Sisi and Merkel also stressed the need to consider both the Paestinian and Israeli visions, with the aim of reaching an agreement that achieves comprehensive and just peace, in accordance with the provisions of the international legitimacy, and in a way that restores full legitimate rights of the Palestinian peace and backs security of the Middle East, the Presidency said in a statement.

The two leaders also discussed the Libyan conflict 10 days after the conclusion of Berlin conference which brought parties of the conflict together with world leaders and agreed to sponsor ceasefire in the war-torn country.

Sisi and Merkel agreed on the need to back the United Nations' efforts to implement the outcome of the conference, in order to reach a comprehensive solution to the Libyan crisis and to restore stability in Libya.

The Egyptian president hailed Merkel's efforts to settle the Libyan crisis. Merkel, for her part, praised Sisi's positive efforts to resolve the crisis and affirmed Germany's keenness to coordinate with Egypt on various regional and international issues of mutual concern.