Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit called on US President-elect Barack Obama to give the Palestinian issue special attention in order to spread peace in the Middle East.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV news channel, Abul-Gheit expressed hope that the new US administration would focus from day one on the Palestinian settlement and the establishment of the Palestinian state to realize the aspirations of the Palestinians, the Arabs and the international community. He called on the US administration to realize stability in Iraq as well.

As for President Hosni Mubarak's visit to the UAE, Abul-Gheit said the two sides discussed the situation in the Arab world in general and the Gulf in particular was discussed along with ways to push forward the Palestinian issue.