Berlin - Coordination on Middle East peace moves with the European Union and other states is vital, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Tuesday on a visit to Berlin.

Cairo was still trying to persuade both Israel and Hamas authorities in Gaza to agree to a new truce when the existing one expires this Thursday. Some Palestinian militants oppose extending the truce.

"The region is going through a very, very critical phase," he said after talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. That was why coordination with the West had to be "very close."

The two ministers signed a document on closer cooperation between their countries.

Steinmeier said, "A de-escalation and settlement of the conflict is necessary for the whole region."

He added that Egypt had a key role in efforts to push through a two-state solution, which foresees an independent Palestinian state in peaceful proximity to Israel. (dpa)