Egypt and Iran called on Sunday afternoon for the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution on Lebanon and highlighted the importance of an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops there without any delay.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and his visiting Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki made the similar calls at a joint news conference held at Ras al-Tein Palace in Egypt's Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.

During the press conference, Mottaki said the issue of helping the Lebanese people was the focal issue that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had entrusted him to convey to Egypt.

He described his earlier meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as "positive", saying their talks were really "constructive" and particularly tackled the Israeli offensive in Lebanon.

"We live in an important area and it is of course natural to expect that any developments within that area would cause ripples to spread across it and beyond. That is why efforts to handle the situation at hand should be collective and not individual," he said, quoted by Egypt's official MENA news agency.

Asked about the position of Hezbollah and its relationship with Iran, Mottaki said Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government. "Lebanese decisions are up to the Lebanese to take. We supported and will always support any decision taken by the Lebanese people en masse."

Abul-Gheit told the reporters that "Egypt and Iran share identical views regarding lots of matters. Presently we are concentrating on the implementation of a ceasefire in Lebanon." "We call upon all parties concerned to pursue the matter and stick to it (UNSC resolution on Lebanon) and urge the international community to do its best in this direction," he said.

Abul-Gheit revealed that Egypt had been busy contacting all the parties concerned, saying the focus of all these contacts is to implement a ceasefire, secure the speedy dispatch of more UNIFIL troops to be able to robustly deploy in South Lebanon and guarantee the pullout of Israeli forces from Lebanon.

The expansion of the UNIFIL operation was a matter of top priority for it would help make the ceasefire agreement hold, he added.

Talking on Egypt-Iran relations, the Egyptian minister said the ties were "cordial and stable", adding the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Tehran and the Iranian one in Cairo were headed by ambassadors.

Egypt and Iran share identical views regarding lots of matters. Presently we are concentrating on the implementation of a ceasefire in Lebanon, he said.

Mottaki also described Egypt as an important country with regional standing, saying "we always consult with our Egyptian brothers on the many developments in the region. Egypt and Iran are in constant contact to consult and examine international issues of mutual concern."

They also share concerns over many issues, which led them to the adoption of joint stances, he added.

Mottaki arrived in Egypt earlier Sunday as part of a regional tour that has taken him so far to Yemen and Turkey.