Cairo, June 16 (TIWN) Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Wednesday called on the newly elected Israeli government to take brave decisions for reaching a peace deal in the region, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The new government represents the choice of the Israeli people," he said, adding Egypt looks forward to working with the new Israeli government to push the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to establish an independent Palestinian state.  Shoukry's remarks came during a meeting with his visiting Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn.  "Egypt works on exploring the efforts that will lead to the peace in the region and reaching an agreement based on the two-state solution," the statement said.  Israel's parliament approved on Sunday a new coalition government led by nationalist Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid, ending the record 12-year rule of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.