Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Croatian counterpart Vesna Pusic who is now in Cairo to follow up Egypt's efforts to release a Croatian hostage kidnapped by a terrorist group.

The ministry's spokesman, Ahmed Abou Zaid, said Egyptian authorities are exerting painstaking efforts to determine the hostage's whereabouts.

"According to information we have, Tomislav Salopek was kidnapped in July and not two days ago," the spokesman said.

"Egyptian authorities are doing all they can to protect the Croatian hostage," he said.