Jordan and Egypt on Tuesday agreed to further coordinate their stands in the face of present challenges.

During a summit meeting in Cairo, His Majesty King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called for intensified international efforts to work out a just political settlement of the Palestinian issue that ends the Israeli occupation and leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The talks, which continued over an iftar banquet, also covered developments in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, especially in light of changes in the Israeli political scene after the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and selection of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to form a new coalition government.

The two leaders also urged world countries to help the Palestinians and Israelis solve final status issues, foremost of which the fate of Jerusalem and the refugees.

The King, who returned home later, and Mubarak stressed the need to unify Palestinian ranks, urging rival groups to reach an agreement that safeguards the interests of the Palestinian people and ends the rift that is threatening the future of the Palestinian cause.

The situations in Iraq and Lebanon were also on the meeting?s agenda, with both sides reiterating their support for efforts to reach national reconciliation and preserve the unity of the two Arab countries.