Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday held talks with visiting Bahraini King Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa over the aftermath of a postponed Arab summit, the official MENA news agency reported.

"The two leaders tackled the Arab status quo following a stunning Tunisian decision to call off the summit originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday," MENA said.

They also exchanged views on an Egyptian proposal to host the summit and means of enhancing bilateral relations, it added.

The meeting was held at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Bahraini king, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Arab League, arrived at the seaside city earlier in the day to reschedule the annual gathering.

The indefinite postponement of the summit by its host Tunisia Saturday night, the first such in the league's 59-year history, has stunned the Arab world and overshadowed the 22-member Arab League.

The move has been criticized by Mubarak, whose country has offered to chair the summit soon after Tunisia decided to delay it.

"I was stunned by Tunisia's decision to delay the summit (scheduled for Monday and Tuesday)," Mubarak told Orbit TV channel late Sunday in an interview, which was aired on Monday.

He said that the decision came as a surprise to him, while voicing indignation over Tunisia's insistence on hosting the summit.

However, Egypt has softened its tone, calling its Arab fellows to "forget what happened in Tunis and look toward to the future."

"What happened in Tunis was not a crack but something we want to surmount," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said earlier in the day.

He said that no exact date has been set for the summit, and the date will be determined through consultations among Arab leaders.

On Saturday night, Tunisia decided to delay the summit due to what it termed divergence over proposals on the reform of the Arab world.