Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt), Nov 12 (IANS): Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and his visiting US counterpart Joe Biden discussed a number of regional and international issues, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

Meeting on the sidelines of the 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, the two leaders discussed the Russia-Ukraine crisis as well as developments in Libya, Yemen and Syria, said the statement on Friday.

Sisi stressed reaching political settlements for these crises and ending the presence of foreign mercenaries and militias in the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

Concerning the issue of Ethiopia's disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's adherence to preserving its water security by reaching a legally binding agreement on filling and operating the dam.

He said that the agreement must guarantee Egypt's water security, in accordance with the principles of international law to achieve the common interests of all parties.

They also discussed the Palestinian issue, the statement added.

For his part, Biden praised Egypt's efforts in combating terrorism, while expressing the support of his administration for such efforts.

The two leaders also pledged to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries in various fields of cooperation.