Trump welcomes Egyptian president to White House
According to the White House statement, the two leaders “engaged in a frank discussion on regional developments in Libya and the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood”
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the White House as both leaders looked to enhance what they described as a strong and strategic relationship.
“It’s a great honour to be with President Sisi, a friend,” said Trump. “Our relationship has never been stronger. And we’re working with Egypt on many different fronts, including military and trade.
“And I have to say that a lot of progress has been made in a lot of different ways, in terms of terrorism and other things, with Egypt and within Egypt. It’s really incredible what’s happened, especially in certain respects that we’ve already talked about,” Trump added.
According to a statement issued by the White House, during Sisi’s stay, the second of its kind since 2017, the two leaders “engaged in a frank discussion on regional developments in Libya and the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Trump and Sisi also “discussed water issues, which are critically important for the US and Egypt,” the statement said, noting “these complex issues must be addressed through negotiations and with respect for international best practices.”
Both leaders expressed their mutual commitment to promoting religious liberty, according to the statement. Trump also urged more people to visit the Pyramids of Giza.
For his part, Sisi spoke about his hopes of “about making a quantum leap in the strategic relationship” between their two countries.
According to the White House, the US is one of Egypt’s biggest trading partners.
In 2018, the US goods trade surplus with Egypt was $2.6 billion, a 9.3 percent increase from 2017. Additionally, in 2018 US goods exports to Egypt totalled $5.1 billion, up 26.7 percent from 2017.