CAIRO: Top officials from Egypt and the United States met to align efforts to end the war in Gaza and to shore up fragile security arrangements across the Middle East and Africa, Egypt's presidency reported Monday.
According to the official press release, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi welcomed CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Egypt. The meeting also included Egypt's intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad.
During the discussion, Sisi stated that Egypt was committed to working with the Trump administration on shared regional goals.
The two delegations focused on moving forward with the next phase of a US-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza, with Sisi saying the focus should remain on upholding the truce, safeguarding civilians, and allowing aid to flow into Palestinian territory.
Peace negotiations aimed at establishing separate Israeli and Palestinian states also featured prominently in their talks.
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The Egyptian president raised “serious concerns” about instability in neighboring Sudan, stating that Cairo will not waver in defending Sudan's independence and territorial integrity. He extended similar pledges of support to Somalia, citing regional concerns about the broader Horn of Africa.
On the intelligence and security front, Ratcliffe talked about the value of ongoing cooperation between American and Egyptian spy agencies in combating terrorism, drug trafficking, and maritime threats.
Both sides signaled plans to expand their partnership across these fronts.