Mike Mullen, U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke by phone Wednesday with his Egyptian counterpart, reiterating his call for calm in the region.

The admiral's spokesman John Kirby said Egyptian armed forces' Chief of Staff Sami Enan updated Mullen on recent developments in the wake of President Hosni Mubarak's speech Tuesday.

Mullen thanked the Egyptian general for the continued contact, reiterated his desire to see the situation return to calm, and expressed his confidence in the Egyptian military's ability to provide for their country's security, both internally and throughout the Suez Canal area, Kirby said.

Mubarak, 82, announced Tuesday that he would not seek re-election for the post he has held since 1981.