Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday invited Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit his country for talks, the premier's office said.

Netanyahu's office said also he would meet Egyptian President in Egypt "in the near future."

A statement issued by right-winger Netanyahu's office said the two leaders spoke by phone on Monday and the Israeli prime minister had accepted Mubarak's invitation to hold talks in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

It did not say what the two leaders would discuss at the meeting.

International concern has been raised by Netanyahu's appointment of ultra-nationalist Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister.

Lieberman stirred controversy last year when he said Mubarak could "go to hell" if the Egyptian leader did not want to visit Israel. He once suggested Egypt's Aswan Dam might be bombed.

On his first day at the foreign ministry last week, Lieberman said the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis declaration of 2007 on peace with the Palestinians was no longer valid.

Netanyahu has said he would negotiate with the Palestinians but would shift the focus of the talks from territorial issues to shoring up the Palestinian economy and improving security. Palestinian leaders and international calls have demanded Netanyahu commit to Palestinian statehood as the goal of any peace negotiations.

Under Ehud Olmert, Netanyahu's predecessor, Egypt tried to broker a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip where the Jewish state launched three-week offensive in December and January, kiling 1434 Palestinians, a third of them children.

The indirect negotiations have shown little sign of progress. Israel wants Hamas to release an Israeli soldier hold by Hamas fighters since 2006. Hamas wants Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit.

Reuters

Güncelleme Tarihi: 07 Nisan 2009, 13:24