Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi met with visiting Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Tuesday and discussed on matters of mutual interest. The two sides discussed on how to mobilize the international community in support of the peace efforts in Somalia, said a senior official with Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry. The official told reporters that foreign terrorist groups coming from various parts of the world have been escalating pressure on the Somali government and also on the peacekeeping force of the African Union (AU). The AU has some 4,300 peacekeepers in Mogadishu, but its mandate prevents them from attacking the rebels except for in self- defense. Thus, he said the transitional government of Somalia has recently called up on the international community for assistance as the problem is beyond its capacity. After the Somali government's quest for support, the international community understood the situation on the ground and began to reconsider the issue in Somalia, he said. The discussion focused on how to use this opportunity in order to pull the necessary assistance from the international community, he added. The two parties also discussed on the contribution of Ethiopia in support of the peace-building efforts in Somalia, he said. They underscored the need to intensify efforts against terrorist groups in Somalia, who have cross-border agendas of destabilizing the region, according to the official. The Somali president is in Ethiopia for a two-day official visit. In late June, he declared a state of emergency in the country and asked for urgent foreign military intervention. Ethiopia pulled troops out of the Somali capital Mogadishu earlier this year and is reluctant to return without a strong mandate from the international community. 