Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit will kick off a visit to Syria on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials on means to reach an immediate ceasefire and contain the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, state-owned MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

The report does not disclose further details on Abul Gheit's upcoming visit, the second of its kind this month.

The top Egyptian diplomat went to the Syrian capital Damascus on July 12, when conflict between Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah and Israel erupted following the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah guerillas in a cross-border attack.

Abul Gheit conveyed a message from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, whose country backs Hezbollah, on the violence.

Egypt, a regional heavyweight, has been making efforts toward an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah since the beginning of the violence.

Over 450 Lebanese, most of them civilians, and more than 50 Israelis have been killed in the 18 days of fights.