Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping on November 21, Egypt's Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohammed Hussein Tantawi and German Ambassador in Cairo Peter Michael Dingens took part in the meeting, MENA said without elaborating.

Later Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa also held talks with Scharping, who began his three-day visit on Friday.

Moussa said after the talks that he and Scharping discussed the Middle East peace process, the Gulf situation including Iraq and Iran, and Mediterranean security and bilateral issues.

Terming the talks important, he said the two sides had identical views on many regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Scharping spoke highly of German-Egyptian relations, affirming both sides' determination to expand economic ties, cooperation in international affairs and cultural exchange and dialog.

Germany appreciates Egypt's role in helping push the Mideast peace forward and hopes that by next year, a final settlement will be reached between Arab countries and Israel, Scharping said.

The two sides are convinced that peace and stability for all countries in the region will materialize, he said.

He said his talks with Moussa also addressed the relations between the European Union and Egypt, expressing hope that the two sides would seek ways of further promoting economic, trade and investment cooperation.