PARIS, July 13, 2008 (AFP) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called Sunday for Israelis and Palestinians to step up their efforts to reach a peace deal, at the opening of a Mediterranean summit in Paris.

'I call on (Palestinian) president Abu Mazen (Mahmud Abbas), and (Israeli) Prime Minister (Ehud) Olmert, to pursue the path of negotiations to bring about total and global peace, to create an independent Palestinian state and open a new page in the Middle Eastern region,' Mubarak said.