Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi will travel on Monday to Washington to meet with the United States President Donald Trump, the next day, as part of an official tour, that includes Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, according to a presidential statement.
Al-Sisi began his tour on Sunday with Guinea where he discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in several fields, including investment and trade exchange. During his tour, the president will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal to address regional issues of common interest as well as enhancing economic integration.
Regarding Washington, Al-Sisi’s visit comes upon Trump’s invitation as part of their meetings aiming to bridge points of views on issues of common interest and enhance joint partnership in various fields.
Last week, the White House announced that Trump will receive the Egyptian president on Tuesday for strengthening their mutual partnership and bolstering military and counter-terrorism cooperation.
“The two leaders will discuss developments and shared priorities in the region, including enhancing regional economic integration and addressing ongoing conflicts, and Egypt’s longstanding role as a lynchpin of regional stability,” the White House said.
Al-Sisi’s visit attracted considerable attention of some US officials and senators who praised the president’s economic reforms and his wisdom in maintaining stability both in his country and in the Middle East.
“We do not deny that there were some tensions and problems, but the wisdom of Al-Sisi as president has succeeded in resetting the course,” Republican congressman Jeff Fortenberry told the Daily News Egypt.
Fortenberry voiced that relations between Egypt and the US need to be activated and revived again, however, both countries are already enjoying a strong relationship, he added.
Meanwhile, a US department of state official told DNE that Egypt “remains a strategic partner of the US, as the two sides closely work together in various fields.”
“Egypt’s economic reforms were spectacular, yet the business environment still needs further improvements, to eradicate bureaucracy, corruption, and create a highly-trained workforce able to generate competitive products for export,” the official explained.
Simultaneously, Paul Salem, president of the Middle East Institute in Washington, said that Al-Sisi’s visit to Washington comes in view of the warm relations between the two countries and their leaders.
Concerning what has become known as the ‘Deal of the Century,’ which is expected to be announced following the results of the Israeli parliamentary elections on 9 April, Salem revealed that if the deal would take place, Egypt would have an essential role in determining the extent of the response of Arab countries to the pact.
However, Salem clarified that no reliable information about the deal exists, explaining that the common factor in the leaks that are being circulated relates to the existence of one state, and granting Palestinians self-governance over some lands, in addition to providing economic benefits to be financed by Arab countries.
“This is unacceptable to the Palestinians, to Egypt, or to any of the Arab states,” Salem said.
