President Sisi meets US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Sharm El Sheikh

CAIRO – 10 November 2022: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received in Sharm El Sheikh Thursday, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and her accompanying delegation, on sidelines of COP27.

According to presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady, Pelosi congratulated President Sisi on the ‘outstanding organization’ of COP27, praising the depth of joint cooperation between the two countries and stressing great importance that the US attaches to relations with Egypt.

 

President Sisi assured Pelosi that Egypt continues to combat terrorism and extremist ideology that incites violence, destruction, sabotage and the demolition of countries.

Rady stated that the meeting witnessed a one-on-one session with Pelosi, which was followed by an expanded session of talks that included her accompanying delegation.

President Sisi welcomed Pelosi’s visit to Egypt and asserted keenness to strengthen relations in all aspects, within a framework of mutual respect and common interest.

Pelosi described Egypt as “pillar of security and stability in the Middle East and the Arab world”, as well as a pivotal partner for the United States in the region. She expressed deep appreciation for Egypt's successful and effective role under the leadership of President Sisi in combating terrorism and extremist ideology, reforming religious discourse and establishing noble concepts and values of freedom of belief.

 

The meeting witnessed “an open dialogue” between President Sisi and members of the delegation, where they were keen to listen to the President’s assessments on various regional and international issues, especially the efforts to combat terrorism over the past years in Egypt, as well as the developments of the crises in the region, including Libya, Yemen and Syria.

Replying to the inquiries of some members of the delegation regarding the situation of the Renaissance Dam, Sisi stressed the need to reach a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam, in order to achieve the interest of all parties and preserve Egyptian water security.

The meeting also discussed the developments of the Palestinian issue, where the US House Speaker praised the Egyptian efforts in support of the peace process and to maintain calm between the two sides, while the President affirmed Egypt's firm position in this regard by reaching a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people.

Pelosi announced earlier that she is heading to Egypt, along with a delegation of 13 democrats to participate at COP27

“At COP27, as the world stands ‘Together For Implementation,’ our distinguished and experienced delegation will engage in meetings with our partners — as well as civil society, youth and business leaders — to discuss the work that must be done to continue our progress to advance climate action and protect the planet,” Pelosi said in a statement.

According to E&E news website, the U.S. delegates to COP 27 are for the first time discussing whether rich nations should send financial aid to the developing world to make up for damages wrought by historic greenhouse gas emissions.

Egypt officially took over the presidency of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on Sunday, which is being currently held until November 18, and is witnessing a wide international participation in the presence of more than 40,000 people representing around 197 countries.