Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama 's special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell said here on Wednesday that it was critical to consolidate a fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.

Mitchell made the remarks at a press conference following talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday, saying "It is of critical importance that the ceasefire be extended and consolidated."

Mitchell said the United States is fully committed to pursuing the efforts to help reach lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

It's a strong signal that the U.S. administration is committed to the Mideast peace as Obama delegated Mitchell as his envoy to the Middle East one week after assuming office, Mitchell said.

The U.S. envoy said he will held talks with a number of leaders in the region and then present a report to the U.S. administration on the outcome of his first Mideast tour as Obama's envoy.

Mitchell also said Washington appreciates the Egyptian mediation efforts to help reach the Gaza ceasefire, noting "we support Egypt's continuing efforts in that regard."

Mitchell, who arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, held talks with visiting European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa at Cairo airport.

Later on Tuesday, Mitchell also met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on the latest developments of the Palestinian issue.

Besides Egypt, Mitchell will travel to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He is also scheduled to stop in Paris and London.

Mitchell, 75, was named as special envoy to the Middle East on Thursday. He was best known for the Good Friday Accord he negotiated between Catholics and Protestants aimed at stemming the long-standing conflict in Northern Ireland in 1998.

Mitchell also served on an international commission that examined the escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians in 2000 and wrote in the next year a report that called for a halt to Israeli settlements and greater Palestinian efforts to crack down on terrorism.

The "Mitchell Report" became the basis of the so-called road map peace initiative and the two-state solution for a durable peace between Israel and Palestinians.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2009)