Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Monday held a session of talks with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos in the capital Lisbon, on the first day of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's visit to Portugal.

The talks tackled a number of topics of mutual concern and means of boosting bilateral relations, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

The two top diplomats discussed a number of urgent regional issues such as the Syrian crisis, the situation in Libya and efforts to revive peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Abu Zeid added.

The Portuguese minister praised Egypt's pivotal role in achieving security and stability, which serves the interests of Europe.

Source: MENA