Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit met on Monday with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing over the volatile Mideast situation.

Li said that China and Egypt have enjoyed time-honored friendship and shared wide-ranging interests in international affairs.

Recalling Chinese President Hu Jintao's successful visit to Egypt in January this year, Li said that during the visit, President Hu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak defined the direction of development of Sino-Egyptian ties in the 21st century.

"The two countries are carrying out the results of the presidential talks in an effort to push forward bilateral ties in an all-round manner," Li said. China is ready to work with Egypt to further promote bilateral strategic cooperation and strengthen cooperation in regional and international arenas as well as advance Sino-Arab and Sino-African ties, he said. For his part, Abul Gheit said that Egypt was willing to promote its economic and trade cooperation with China and strengthen coordination with China in international affairs. He also reiterated Egypt's one-China policy.

Li, who arrived here Sunday evening for a three-day visit to Egypt, is expected to be received by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday.

The top Chinese diplomat will also attend the first ministerial meeting of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum due on Tuesday.

Egypt is the last stop of Li's current Mideast trip, which has taken him to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.

Source from:  www.xinhua.org