A U.S. congress delegation started Saturday a three-day visit to Egypt, according to the Al-Ahram (a state-owned newspaper).
The delegation holds talks with Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on security issues, according to a US embassy press release issued on Saturday.
The U.S delegation is headed by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (Republican, California), Chairman of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. There are other arrangements settled for the U.S delegation to also meet other public officials.
The US embassy said that the Congressmen “will discuss with Egyptian officials the long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt, efforts to fight terrorism, and shared interests in regional stability and security.”
The delegation also includes Representatives Juan Vargas (Democrat, California), Steve King (Republican, Iowa), Richard Pittenger (Republican, North Carolina), and Alex Mooney (Republican, West Virginia).
In this context, the Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi met the Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and they discussed the latest developments on “War on Terrorism” in the light of the Egyptian U.S. relations.
Moreover, the U.S delegation has praised Egypt’s efforts to maintain stability and balance in the Middle East region. They also stressed that the United States of America will support the Egyptian government in its efforts to rebuild the economy to retain back the country’s security and stability.
Prior to the U.S Congress delegation’s visit- the U.S.Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS-Brett Mc Gurk visited Cairo. The Special Envoy met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Assistant Defense Minister Mohamed El Keshky to discuss cooperation in the fight against ISIS.
In his meetings, the Special Envoy discussed the status of the coalition’s efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS. He explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Egypt in combatting ISIS’s growing threat and exchanged views on how best to counter the threat posed by ISIS’s regional affiliates.
Earlier this month, a US congressional delegation recommended supporting Egypt in its counter-terrorism efforts, during its visit.
In mid-June, Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi met the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Vincent Stewart . Both sides affirmed that economic support is as important as security and military support.
