Egypt's president, U.S. Secretary of State discuss regional issues

CAIRO – 26 May 2021: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received Wednesday U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken as they discussed the Palestinian Cause, counterterrorism, Libya, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), and bilateral relations.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry; Chief of General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel; Deputy U.S. Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland; U.S. Ambassador to Cairo Jonathan Cohen; State Department Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Sullivan; and, Member of the National Security Council Barbra Leaf.  

Sisi and Blinken tackled the updates on the Palestinian Cause and ways of reviving the peace process. The latter valued Egypt's diligent efforts to achieve a ceasefire between the Israelis and the Palestinians and working on stabilizing it.

On the other hand, The Egyptian president lauded the American support to such efforts pointing out that the recent "developments" mandates activating direct negotiations between both sides backed by an effective involvement of the United States. He added that Egypt is eager to cooperate with the United States on that matter asserting that the solution must be fair and comprehensive so it would preserve the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international references.  

Both sides agreed on bolstering coordination and consultation on stabilizing the ceasefire and launching reconstruction in Gaza Strip. They also conferred over the current transitional phase in Libya, and the necessity of supporting it so that elections would be held on scheduled time on December 24. The Egyptian president underscored the salience of working towards the deportation of foreign mercenaries, and dismantling of militias in order to maintain the territorial integrity of the country, and ensure the safety of its national institutions. He added that would also inhibit chaos and prevent turning Libya into a competition field for foreign powers.

With regard to combating terrorism and extremist thought, Blinken said that Egypt is considered a central partner in combating cross-border terrorism. As for the Ethiopian dam issue, President Sisi asserted Egypt's determination to not forfeit any of its water rights and to reach a legal binding agreement on the filling and operation of the hydropower project that fulfills the interests of the three states.

In that context, the president stressed the importance of the United States' role in playing an influential role in solving the crisis. On his side, Blinken stipulated the United States' commitment to deploy efforts aimed at reaching an agreement that sustains the water and developmental rights of all parties.

Speaking of bilateral ties, the meeting displayed the developmental projects and initiatives embarked on by Egypt, which were commended by the U.S. state secretary as they are intended to improve the living standards of citizens.