Cairo, Aug 23 (IANS): Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with his German counterpart Heiko Maas the recent developments in war-torn Libya and Palestine.

During a phone conversation, the top diplomats discussed the statements issued on Friday by UN-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and Speaker of the east-based House of Representatives Aguila Saleh in which they called for cease-fire in the country, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Both stressed the importance of benefitting from this important step to reach a comprehensive political settlement in Libya that would help restore security, stability in the country as well as ending foreign interventions.

On Friday, Serraj and Saleh announced, in separate statements, a cease-fire and the end of all hostilities in Libya, calling for presidential and parliamentary elections and resumption of oil exports.

Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments with warring forces, namely the UN-backed government based in the capital Tripoli and the other in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar and the east-based House of Representatives.

Also on Saturday, Shoukry and Maas discussed the recent developments in the Palestinian cause.

Shoukry highlighted the importance of building on the latest developments to preserve the two-state solution and achieving a just peace within the framework of restoring legitimate Palestinian rights in accordance with the international legitimacy decisions.