LONDON: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomatic solutions to the ongoing Ukraine crisis, during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Zelensky briefed El-Sisi on the latest developments in the crisis and in the course of the negotiations, where the Egyptian leader affirmed his country’s support for all endeavors that would speed up a political settlement to the conflict through discussions and negotiations. Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency Bassam Rady said El-Sisi said that Egypt was following with great concern and concern the developments on the ground and the resulting deterioration of the humanitarian situation, expressing appreciation for the measures taken by the Ukrainian side to facilitate the exit of Egyptian citizens from the Ukrainian ports, and to ensure their safety and security. Zelensky expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Egyptian efforts to continue hosting Ukrainian tourists in tourist resorts in Egypt, providing them with all means of assistance since the outbreak of the crisis, as well as facilitating the procedures for their return to Ukraine’s neighboring countries.