On Saturday, 21 January, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his accompanying delegation in Cairo.

According to a statement released by the Office of the Presidency, President El Sisi “affirmed the strategic relations that bind Egypt and the U.S. that are based on a long history of cooperation.” President El Sisi also “stressed that Egypt looks forward to enhancing these relations through tangible measures that reflect the priorities of both sides and each party’s vision on how to address current challenges.”

The talks also touched on the issue of Jerusalem. President El Sisi “noted that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will only take place through negotiations that are based on the two-state solution,” and “affirmed that Egypt will spare no effort to support this solution and that all international parties that seek to realize this goal ought to adopt measures that help both sides to reach a solution that ensures peace and security to all the region’s peoples.”

For more information, see the release from the Office of the Presidency below.

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President El Sisi Meets U.S. Vice President

Today, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met with the U.S. Vice President, Mike Pence, and his accompanying delegation.

President El Sisi affirmed the strategic relations that bind Egypt and the U.S. that are based on a long history of cooperation. He highlighted the significance of these relations, which are considered one of the cornerstones for stability in the Middle East. U.S. Vice President Pence confirmed his country’s keenness on enhancing cooperation with Egypt across all levels, in light of its key role in the Middle East. He added that the U.S. is determined to push these relations to wider prospects in the upcoming period, in light of the immense challenges that the region is facing.

Talks touched on various aspects of bilateral ties. President El Sisi stressed that Egypt looks forward to enhancing these relations through tangible measures that reflect the priorities of both sides and each party’s vision on how to address current challenges. The President reviewed Egypt’s counter-terrorism efforts and the burdens that the Egyptian people have endured and the sacrifices that they made. The President also reviewed Egypt’s economic reform efforts and development plans and affirmed that Egypt welcomes the participation of major U.S. companies in the current projects and capitalizing on the investment opportunities that they offer.

U.S. Vice President Pence affirmed that the U.S. regards Egypt as a significant strategic partner to Washington in the region. He noted that Egypt is fighting a fierce battle against terrorism and affirmed that his country supports Egypt’s counter-terrorism efforts as well as its economic reform endeavors. He affirmed the continuous support for Egypt’s development efforts.

Talks also touched on the issue of Jerusalem, in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. embassy to it. President El Sisi affirmed Egypt’s unyielding position on the Palestinian issue in support of the Palestinian people’s rights to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The President noted that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will only take place through negotiations that are based on the two-state solution.

He affirmed that Egypt will spare no effort to support this solution and that all international parties that seek to realise this goal ought to adopt measures that help both sides to reach a solution that ensures peace and security to all the region’s peoples.

The President noted that Egypt’s position in this regard stems from historic facts and from its commitment to supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, affirming that it is important for the U.S. to continue playing its vital role in this regard.

U.S. Vice President Pence valued Egypt’s historic role in the peace process as well as its longstanding contributions to preserving the security and stability of the Middle East.

President El Sisi stated that Egypt looks forward to continuing dialogue and discussion with the U.S. on various issues at the bilateral and regional levels, so as to enable them to effectively address the challenges that the region is facing and to contribute to realizing security and stability in the Middle East.