Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said that his visit to the US targets following up on bilateral ties between the two nations; adding that the meetings he held with Congressmen and others showed the close nature of ties between Cairo and Washington.
Speaking to the state-run TV on Sunday, on the sidelines of the visit, Shoukry said, “the visit comes before the new US administration takes power on January 20th.”
It seeks communication with the new administration, as well as the Republicans and Democrats of the Congress, he added.
He described the Egyptian-US ties as strong and of a strategic nature, saying that Egypt resumes its efforts to boost ties with the coming administration. The talks between the coming US President Donald Trump and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi indicate that the new administration will adopt policies that conform to the Egyptian vision toward the regional issues, Shoukry said.
The minister also revealed that the US aid to Egypt was one of the issues tackled during the visit, underscoring the importance of US aid in Egyptian developmental schemes and in boosting the armed forces' military capabilities.
He also highlighted the importance of the aid to face the new challenges in the Middle East, as well as its necessity to boost Egypt’s military stance to confront challenges of terrorism and instability in the region.
Shoukry said he discussed with the Congress committees concerned, the necessity of increasing the aid package in a way that conforms to the challenges facing Egypt and the US interests in the Middle East.
Edited translation from MENA
