On his third day in Washington, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi attended a number of meetings with members of the US congress, as well as with US department secretaries and security officials.
These meetings came following Al-Sisi’s meeting with president Donald Trump on the previous day that included discussions over ways to counter terrorism, reviews of Egypt’s economic reform programme, and updates on regional issues and bilateral relations.
Al-Sisi also attended a seminar that was discussed the topic of designating the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) a terrorist group, according to state-run media outlet EGY News.
Experts claimed that the former administration of Barack Obama was wrong when they allegedly supported the MB and funded terrorist organisations in the Middle East, also stating that the new administration should designate the MB as a terrorist organisation. Participants included, among others, senator Dick Black, a fervent supporter of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad.
Furthermore, Al-Sisi met with congress members, including David Neonis, head of the intelligence committee; Ed Royce, head of the house foreign affairs committee; and Bob Corker, head of the senate foreign relations committee; as well as US speaker of the house Paul Ryan.
Additionally, several members of the aforementioned committees were present during the meetings as well. They mainly focused on the Palestinian issue and economic issues.
Al-Sisi asserted the necessity of coordinating between both sides to reach a just and comprehensive political settlement for the Palestinian issue, stressing that achieving this would contribute effectively to the stability of the Middle East as a whole.
Moreover, he referred to the significance of the American role in reviving the peace process between Israel and Palestine, while also reviewing the economic situation in Egypt and what has been achieved so far with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The president spoke in these meetings about Egypt’s keenness in promoting democracy and protecting human rights, stating that Egypt is undertaking great efforts to respect civil and human rights, while strengthening security and stability as well.
Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement after his meeting with Al-Sisi, saying that “the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt is essential to securing regional stability and defeating terrorism.” He also added that the congress is keen to cooperate with its Egyptian counterparts during the upcoming period.
Meanwhile, Ed Royce said that Egypt’s role is important for the stability of the region, and he continued that he discussed with Al-Sisi certain required reforms that can help solve some of Egypt’s challenges.
His statements also included human rights, as he suggested that “while Egyptian forces combat ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian government must better support civil society and human rights in order to discourage young people from being radicalized.”
Last but not least, Al-Sisi also met secretary of state Rex Tillerson, former US homeland security secretary Michael Ashcroft, and Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the US senate, and their meetings also included discussions on bilateral relations, regional issues, and counterterrorism.
