New Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held two bilateral talks respectively with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit and South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon on Thursday at this Red Sea resort.

In talks with Abul Gheit, whose country hosted the ministerial meeting of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), Yang said China cherished traditional friendship with Egypt.

China is willing to strengthen all-domain, all-level exchange and cooperation with Egypt between governments and parliaments, thus effectively implementing the executive guidelines of Sino- Egyptian strategic cooperative relations and pushing bilateral ties to a new height, said Yang.

Abul Gheit said Egyptian-Chinese friendship and cooperative relations have solid basis and are continuing to develop, and Egypt is willing to expand its all-round relations with China.

Abul Gheit also briefed Yang Egyptian viewpoints over the Middle East regional situation.

The Chinese top diplomat sang highly of Egypt's important role in facilitating the resolution of problems related to Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, expressing hopes that the region could achieve peace and stability as soon as possible.

During Yang's meeting with his South Korean counterpart, the two highly valued close exchange and cooperation between China and South Korea.

The two foreign ministers said both sides are willing to make joint efforts to implement several important consensuses reached by the two nations' leadership during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Seoul in April.

The two reiterated that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should be solved peacefully through dialogue and negotiations. They also agreed that a nuclear-free peninsula and a peaceful and stable Northeast Asia conform to the common interests of all related parties.

The two ministers said the six-party talks are practical and effective means to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, both expressing hopes that the fund issue related to the Macao-based Banco Delta Asia could be solved and that all sides could implement a series of initial steps, set forward in a joint document signed on Feb. 13, at an early date.

They agreed to maintain communication and coordination to jointly push forward with the process of the six-party talks.

Yang's bilateral meetings with Abul Gheit and Song were held on the sidelines of the ICI meeting.

Source: Xinhua