Egyptian FM to visit Israel in first such visit in a decade

FILE -- In this May 11, 2016 file photo, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry listens during a press conference after heading a Security Council meeting on terrorism, at U.N. headquarters. Shoukry will visit Israel Sunday, July 10, 2016, in the first such visit in nearly a decade. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will meet Shoukry Sunday in a visit that reflects positive changes in relations between the two countries. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry says the visit is aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) (The Associated Press)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, left, attend a press conference in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 10, 2016. Shoukry's trip was the first official visit to Israel since 2007 and reflected the strong but discreet ties that have developed between the two countries in recent years. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Sameh's visit was aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty) (The Associated Press)

JERUSALEM – Egypt's foreign minister will visit Israel in the first such visit in nearly a decade.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will meet Sameh Shoukry later Sunday. He called the visit "important" and said it reflected the positive change in Israel-Egypt relations. The last visit of an Egyptian foreign minister was in 2007.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry says the visit is aimed at reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Shoukry visited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank last month.

After decades of wars followed by years of uneasy peace, Israel has emerged as a discreet ally to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Israel often praises el-Sissi for his tough stance on militants, and considers him a key ally in what it sees as a shared battled against Islamic extremists.