Egypt's foreign minister has held talks with his Qatari counterpart that focused on improved ties between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry met with Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday in Cairo. Al Thani says Qatar's ties with Egypt were improving "after we overcame the previous period, which was marred by some tensions."

It was the second visit for Qatar's chief diplomat since Egypt and three Gulf nations ended their dispute with the energy-rich country last year. The countries had jointly boycotted Qatar and hoped an embargo and media blitz would pressure it to end its close relations with Turkey and Iran.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry said the group has "great ambitions" to improve ties, the Associated Press reported. A declaration in January 2021 ended a major diplomatic issue that began in 2017.