President El-Sisi Receives the Commander of CENTCOM

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Michael E. Kurilla, in the presence of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production General Mohamed Zaki, in addition to the Head of the US Military Cooperation Office, and Political Adviser to the Commander of the US Central Command, and the Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

The Spokesman for the Presidency stated that President El-Sisi welcomed the Commander of the US Central Command to Egypt. The President stressed the importance of joint military cooperation between Egypt and the United States within the framework of the longstanding strategic relations between both countries. He confirmed that they represent a fundamental pillar for maintaining peace and security in the Middle East, particularly in light of the circumstances it faces. This requires concerted efforts to confront the challenges threatening security and stability, foremost of which is terrorism that necessitates exerting collective efforts to combat it. In this regard, the President reviewed Egypt’s efforts at all strategic levels to uproot this scourge.

The Commander of the US Central Command expressed his honor to meet with the President, stressing his keenness for Egypt to be the first stop of his foreign visits to the region since taking office, and confirming the full extent of US solidarity with Egypt in its efforts to combat terrorism as the most dangerous common challenge facing the region and threatening its security.

General Kurilla also underlined the American administration's reliance on Egypt’s active and pivotal role in the Middle East and North Africa, which stems from President El-Sisi’s broad experience and deep understanding of the conditions and challenges in this key region of the world, which are embodied in Egypt’s efforts to strengthen regional peace and security. This underscores the need to continue the joint Egyptian-American military cooperation and developing strategic relations between the two countries.

The Commander of CENTCOM also offered his condolences to President El-Sisi for the men of the Armed Forces who were martyred as a result of the treacherous terrorist attack that took place recently in Sinai.

The Spokesman added that the meeting discussed ways to advance military and security cooperation between Egypt and the United States, as well as their cooperation in the areas of combating terrorism, joint training programs and border security. It also tackled the latest developments regarding a number of crises and files in the region, especially the security of the Red Sea. The two sides agreed to continue regular bilateral consultation and coordination on issues of common interest.