CAIRO, October 23. /TASS/. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have supported immediate de-escalation in the Middle East, according to a statement by the Egyptian leader’s office published following talks between the two presidents at the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

"They concurred on the critical importance of de-escalation in the Middle East, given the severe negative repercussions of the conflict there, both regionally and internationally," the statement noted.

"The two Presidents called for an urgent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, stressing the vital need for de-escalation and avoiding practices and measures that would only further aggravate the situation in the region," the statement stressed. According to it, el-Sisi "reiterated the imperative of facilitating the delivery of desperately-needed humanitarian aid and relief to the people in the Gaza Strip and of supporting Lebanon and asserting its sovereignty, security and stability."

Additionally, the document noted that the two leaders discussed "an array of pressing international issues, primarily the Russian-Ukrainian crisis." "President El-Sisi underscored Egypt’s position, advocating for diplomatic solutions and political settlements of crises through dialogue, in a manner that upholds international peace and security and preserves the resources of the peoples," the statement reads.

The 16th BRICS Summit, which is the key event of Russia’s chairmanship in the association, is being held in Kazan on October 22-24. The BRICS group was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, became its full-fledged members. The Kazan summit will be the first to be attended by the new members of the association. Representatives of over 30 countries are expected to take part.