Irish President Higgins meets with Egyptian President al-Sisi in Dublin

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met his Irish counterpart Michael Higgins on Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza and boosting bilateral ties.

The two heads of state discussed the Middle East situation, including the political upheaval in Syria, according to a statement from Higgins's office.

Egyptian presidential spokesman said , there had also been "agreement on the need to expand international recognition of the Palestinian state". 

The Dublin visit was the final leg of a European tour by Sisi that included stops in Norway and Denmark. It marked the first trip to Ireland by an Egyptian president since Hosni Mubarak visited in 2006.