Director of the CIA John Brennan expressed the importance of collaboration with Egypt in several fields including security and said that the security in Egypt reflects the security in the region.
During his meeting with Egyptian Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar on Monday, Brenan praised collaboration between Egypt and the US in security issues.
Abdel Ghaffar said the recent incidents are proof that many countries are targets for terrorism attacks. Fighting this challenge requires international collaboration. He praised the cooperation with the CIA in terms of exchanging information and experience.
In his meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Sunday, Brennan praised the Egyptian-US strategic partnership. Brennan said that Egypt is integral to achieving security in the Middle East.
President Al-Sisi said Egypt aims to enforce cooperation with the US, not only in the security sector but in several other fields. Brennan said Egypt is an important partner, not only at the bilateral level but also at a regional level and the international level.
Brennan expressed interests in any changes in the Egyptian vision about cooperation in a number of regional issues of common concern, the forefront of which is the fight against extra-state militants in the Middle East to find a solution to the crises in the region.
Al-Sisi indicated that the approach should include military confrontations and security cooperation, as well as economic and social aspects. He sighted Egypt’s efforts to combat terrorism in limited areas in North Sinai as well as securing its border with Libya as prime examples. According to Al-Sisi, fighting in the Sinai does not exceed 1% of the total area of peninsula.
In the same meeting, Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt supports efforts to settle crises in a number of countries in the region to reach political solutions, safeguard their entities and institutions, and their people.
