President El Sisi and US Secretary of State John Kerry Meet in Cairo

13051490_964783446903080_6953311141996384808_n

On Wednesday, 18 May, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo where they discussed ways to further economic and political cooperation, reviewed the latest developments in the region and reviewed international efforts aimed at reviving the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis.

 

According to a statement released by the Office of the Presidency, President El Sisi “looked forward to strengthening Egyptian-US strategic relations as well as enhancing cooperation to serve both interests” and noted “Egypt’s keenness to coordinate with and consult the US on the development of regional issues so as to enable both Egypt and the US to confront ongoing challenges in the Middle East”.

According to a State Department release, Secretary Kerry “expressed his appreciation for the president’s recent statement of strong support for advancing Arab-Israeli peace” as well as “stressed the importance of Egypt’s role as a regional partner and reiterated U.S. commitment to help Egypt fight terrorism, increase economic growth, strengthen democratic  institutions and bolster regional security.”

 

For more information, see the below release from the Office of the Presidency.

 

President El Sisi US Secretary of State

 

Today, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry attended the meeting.

 

President El Sisi looked forward to strengthening Egyptian-US strategic relations as well as enhancing cooperation to serve both interests. The President noted Egypt’s keenness to coordinate with and consult the US on the development of regional issues so as to enable both Egypt and the US to confront ongoing challenges in the Middle East.

 

Mr. Kerry stated that the US looks to boost cooperation with Egypt at all levels and enhance bilateral ties and affirmed that Egypt is a key partner to the US. He expressed his country’s keenness to consult Egypt on regional issues so as to realize stability.

 

President El Sisi and Mr.Kerry discussed ways to further economic and political cooperation and support Egypt’s counter-terrorism efforts. They reviewed the latest developments in the region, particularly the situation in Libya and Syria, and international efforts to reach political settlements to restore peace and stability in these countries, in light of the recent Vienna meetings on Libya and Syria. They discussed international efforts aimed at reviving the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis. Mr. Kerry lauded President El Sisi’s call yesterday to resume peace talks and valued his leading efforts and keenness to resolve the Palestinian issue. Mr. Kerry also noted Egypt’s historic contributions to realizing stability, as a cornerstone for peace and security in the Middle East.

 

##