Egyptian and European officials held talks Thursday at the premises of the foreign ministry. The Egyptian side was headed by Ambassador Htem Seif Eddin, Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs and the European side was chaired by Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Helga Schmidt. The talks tackled a number of regional issues and some topics of common interest, including the Palestinian cause, the Syrian crisis and situation in the Arab Spring countries, a diplomatic source said. The talks also touched on the relations between Sudan and South Sudan, the Nile Basin initiative and the situation in Somalia and Mali, the source added.