The current delays in the Middle East peace talks were raised at a meeting in Cairo between President Mubarak and a team from the European Union.

The team included the Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, and the Portuguese Foreign Minister, Jaime Gama, whose country holds the Union's rotating presidency.

Mr Gama told Mr Mubarak of the European Union's deep concern.

He also said the EU had reached a cooperation deal with Egypt but did not say if a date for signing it had been arranged.

Mr Gama said the Algerian Foreign Minister, Yusef al-Yusefi, would also be joining the talks in Cairo.

Egypt was the European team's last stop on a tour of several Middle East countries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service