U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a press conference in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, Feb 12, 2018- U.S. Embassy in Cairo Twitter Account
CAIRO – 12 February 2018: “Jerusalem’s borders shall be determined in a later time after intensive talks and discussions between Palestinians and Israelis to put an end to the two-party conflict and resolve the Palestinian cause,” said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a press conference succeeding a closed-door meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister on Monday.
Shoukry and Tillerson tackled key regional developments, most notably developments regarding Jerusalem after U.S. President Donald Trump's decision, on December 6, 2017, to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv; a decision which was deemed as an official recognition from the American side of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
“Egypt affirms its commitment to resolve the Palestinian cause, in coordination with Arab countries, the European Union and the United States,” Shoukry added during the press conference.
Tillerson expressed the American support to the Egyptian state which has been engaging in an anti-terror war in Sinai and various districts across Egypt, within the framework of a full-scale security operation dubbed "Sinai 2018" against terrorism.
“The U.S.-Egyptian relationship is growing stronger every day as we work together to build a more secure, more prosperous region," Tillerson stated.
Both officials tackled the Egyptian-U.S. common challenges; most importantly the North Korean nuclear activities which have threatened the entire world. “Egypt has held several consultations with world powers such as the U.S., European countries and Japan so as to conclude diplomatic solutions for the North Korean issue and accomplish security and safety worldwide,” Shoukry added.
Syria’s ongoing war was also tackled by Shoukry and Tillerson as both countries stressed that “an open dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition is a must to resolve the Syrian crisis”, according to Tillerson.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) at Tahrir Palace, central Cairo on Feb 12, 2018 (courtesy of U.S. Embassy in Cairo Twitter Account)
On Monday morning, Shoukry held discussions with Tillerson, where they tackled recent developments in the region. Tillerson has started his Middle East tour on Monday; the tour includes Amman, Ankara, Beirut, Cairo, and Kuwait, and takes place from February 11–16.
President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi will meet with Tillerson on Monday afternoon in Cairo to discuss bilateral partnership, how to further strengthen it, and how to coordinate on key regional issues including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, following the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city; the decision which Egypt strongly rejected.
Tillerson will arrive in Kuwait in the evening of Monday leading the U.S. delegation to two international gatherings: That of the 74 members in the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and a conference on Iraqi reconstruction. The three-day Iraq Reconstruction Conference will showcase private sector investment opportunities and international support for Iraq.
At 8 pm, Tillerson will attend a working dinner with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah al-Khalid Al-Sabah. He will also meet with Kuwaiti officials who are attempting to mediate a resolution to the disagreements between Qatar and its Arab neighbors; Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain.
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