Paris - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak said Monday in Paris that a ceasefire could come into effect in the Middle East "perhaps as early as next week," French media reported.

Mubarak made the statement after holding talks about the situation in the strife-torn region with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace.

The Egyptian president invited Sarkozy to take part in a conference on the reconstruction of Gaza to be held March 2 in Cairo. Both leaders have been active in trying to broker a truce between Hamas and Israel.

However, observers said no truce agreement was expected to be reached before the completion of Tuesday's elections, which hard-line conservatives seem poised to win. dpa