US Secretary of State John Kerry met late on Monday with Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahem Mahlab on the sidelines of a US-Africa Summit, according to the US Department of State.

The senior diplomats addressed mutual ties and the latest developments in the region including truce efforts in the embattled Gaza Strip and the growing violence in Syria and Libya.

While Kerry convened meetings with other African leaders at the Department of State, he visited Mahlab at a Washington, DC hotel where the latter is staying.

Mahlab is one of dozens of African leaders currently visiting Washington for the three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit that began on Monday and is hosted by President Barack Obama

Kerry on Monday held talks with several African presidents and prime ministers including those of Tunisia, Libya, Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi and Mauritania--all at the Department of State.

Egypt, a key US ally in the Middle East, had initially not been included on the 50-strong guest-list for the summit, because it had been suspended from the African Union following the ousting of elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Cairo was re-instated to the 54-member pan-African bloc in June and the White House issued an invitation for Egypt to attend the talks.

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