BEIJING: China and Egypt have called for a reform of the UN Security Council in a joint communique, amid concern that its role has been usurped by the Nato air strikes against Yugoslavia.
The communique, released overnight by Xinhua News Agency, was signed by President Jiang Zemin and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is on a five-day visit to China.
The statement stressed the ``great importance'' attached to the role of the United Nations in ``safeguarding world peace and security''.
``The two sides agree that expansion of the council should fully consider the geographical and regional balance in order to ensure the just representation of developing countries and the Security Council's ability to fulfil its duties,'' the statement said.
China, one of five permanent members of the Security Council, has slammed the US-led Nato air strikes over Yugoslavia as undermining the role of the United Nations.
Egypt has not come out in support of the strikes, but has blamed the Serbs and President Slobodan Milosevic for Nato's military intervention.
On Sunday, Egypt said it was withdrawing all its diplomats from Belgrade for security reasons.
Amid increasing globalisation, ``lingering tension, instability and emerging crises must be properly handled and eventually eliminated'', the communique said.
The Joint Communique on the Establishment of Strategic Co-operative Sino-Egyptian Relations also reaffirmed the need to implement all accords signed between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. ``All countries and people'' in the Middle East ``have the right to safeguard their security, independence, territorial sovereignty and national interests'', it added.
It also called for all nations to work ``to establish an area free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East''.
Mr Mubarak's visit is aimed at reinforcing Sino-Egyptian relations, particularly in commerce, and the communique agreed the foreign ministers should meet at least once a year.
After talks with Premier Zhu Rongji and Mr Jiang, Mr Mubarak signed accords on transport, agriculture, economics, technology and tourism. - AFP