President El-Sisi Receives U.S. Secretary of State

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received today Secretary of State of the United States of America Mr. Antony Blinken, in the presence of Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Sameh Shoukry and the Director of General Intelligence Service, along with Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt Jonathan Cohen, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the U.S. Department of State Thomas Sullivan, and Senior Director for Middle East and North Africa Affairs on the National Security Council Ambassador Barbara Leaf.

The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency stated that President El-Sisi welcomed the meeting with the US Secretary of State and conveyed his greetings to the U.S. President Joe Biden. President El-Sisi affirmed the long-standing, strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States as well as its pivotal role in supporting security and stability in the Middle East region. President El-Sisi also expressed his aspiration to enhance coordination and consultation between the two sides on various political, security, and regional issues.

For his part, US Secretary of State Blinken conveyed greetings from the U.S. President to President El-Sisi, stressing America’s interest in strengthening strategic relations with Egypt and intensifying coordination and joint consultations on all Middle East issues. This would be done in light of the effective political leverage that Egypt enjoys in the Middle East and the region as well as its contribution, under the leadership of the President, in achieving the desired stability for all peoples of the region.

According to the Spokesman, the meeting addressed the developments of the Palestinian cause and ways to revive the peace process in the wake of recent developments in the Palestinian territories. In this respect, the US Secretary of State appreciated the strenuous Egyptian efforts to reach and stabilize a ceasefire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.

For his part, President El-Sisi praised America’s full support to the Egyptian efforts, noting that the recent developments prompt the resumption of direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, with an effective American involvement, to bring the two sides back to the dialogue table. The President stressed Egypt's keenness to cooperate closely with the United States in this regard and its firm stance to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international references.

It was agreed to strengthen coordination and bilateral consultations between the two countries with regard to stabilizing the ceasefire and launching the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip on the basis of the Egyptian initiative.

The issue of combating terrorism and extremist ideology was also raised; President El-Sisi asserted the firm will of the Egyptian government and people to continue relentless efforts in order to confront this scourge and undermine both its security and intellectual danger. The President further affirmed the State’s will to consolidate the firm principles of citizenship: fraternity, coexistence, and freedom of belief. In this regard, His Excellency stressed the importance of continuing coordination and joint cooperation with the United States to support these efforts.

For his part, the US Secretary of State praised the success of the decisive Egyptian efforts in this regard during the past period and the burden it had borne in combating terrorism. He further pointed out the US administration's support for those efforts, stressing that Egypt is a central partner in confronting the challenge of cross-border terrorism.

The Spokesman added that the meeting discussed a number of regional files, particularly the development of the Libyan situation and the transitional phase it is going through until elections are held next December. In this context, consensus was reached on the importance of supporting the distinct political stage in the history of Libya and the removal of mercenaries and foreign armed militias from Libya. This will contribute to achieving the aspirations of the brotherly Libyan people, preserving the unity of the Libyan territories and the integrity of its national institutions, and undermining the spread of chaos, hence preventing them from turning into areas of influence for external forces.

With regard to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), this file was tackled; the President affirmed Egypt’s adherence to its rights by reaching a fair and binding legal agreement that guarantees Egypt’s water security through clear rules for the process of the filling and operation of the dam and achieves the common interests of all parties. Hence, His Excellency highlighted the importance of the influential American role in resolving this crisis. In this context, Minister Blinken renewed the US administration’s commitment to making efforts in order to reach an agreement that preserves water and development rights for all parties.

Furthermore, the areas of bilateral relations were discussed; the US Secretary of State praised the huge development efforts that Egypt is currently witnessing. In this context, the President explained the State’s efforts through highlighting a series of major development projects underway to achieve a comprehensive development in all sectors and upgrade all aspects of living for citizens as well as all the services provided by the state.