President of the European Council Charles Michel discussed tensions in Libya with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday.

"The situation in Libya was at the core of our discussions," Michel said in a tweet in the early afternoon.

"The Berlin process is the only way forward", he said about Libyan peace talks that will be held in the German capital with the aim of ending the conflict in the country. "Dialogue and negotiations are needed more than ever".

This is Michel's first visit to Egypt since he became the President of the European Council in December 2019.

Michel arrived in Cairo Saturday following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

The meetings are part of his tour to discuss the Libyan crisis with regional leaders in an effort to de-escalate tensions in the North African country amid Turkish plans to send troops to Libya which were denounced by western powers.

Libya's warring parties, the eastern forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar and the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), have agreed to a ceasefire that started earlier on Sunday following calls by Turkey and Russia for a truce.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday that Germany will start sending out invitations for Libya peace talks soon.