President holds open dialogue with US House leaders

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi had talks over breakfast with a host of Republican leaders at the US House of Representatives, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said.

During the talks President Sisi stressed the strategic and solid Egyptian-American ties and highly appreciated the role of the US House of Representatives in consolidating the partnership between the two countries, Radi said.

He also voiced hopes to continue promoting and strengthening this partnership in various fields of bilateral co-operation within a framework of mutual respect, and common interest.

President Sisi also expressed keenness on maintaining contacts with all decision-making circles in the United States, as part of the coordination and consultation between the two friendly countries on various issues.

For their part, the Republican leaders said that Egypt is a leading US ally in the Middle East region, and appreciated its pivotal role as a pillar of security and stability in the region, the Mediterranean Basin, and the African continent, Spokesman Radi said.

They also referred to Egypt’s fruitful efforts in confronting terrorism and extremist ideology, as well as establishing concepts of religious tolerance. They also pointed to the balanced and rational attempts led by President Sisi to develop solutions to the various crises in the region.

The meeting featured an open dialogue between President Sisi and the Republican leaders, who were keen to listen to the president’s assessment of the overall situation in the Middle East, and international issues of common concern, Radi said.

The discussions also covered the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). In this respect, President Sisi affirmed Egypt’s unwavering stance on preserving its water security through concluding a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, to secure the historical natural flow of the Nile water to Egypt.

This takes into account Egypt’s total dependence on the River Nile as a primary source of water, Radi noted.

The US MPs expressed full understanding of Cairo’s concerns and position on the sensitive issue, which pertains to Egypt’s national security.