Palestinian Issue Tops Sisi-Blinken Talks

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed developments of the Palestinian issue, most notably the recently brokered ceasefire in Gaza following 11 days of Israeli aggression. 

Many officials from both sides attended the talks such as: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry Chief of General Intelligence Abbas Kamel as well as Mrs. Victoria Nuland, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador Jonathan Cohen, Ambassador of the United States in Cairo, Thomas Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of the US Chief of Staff, and Ambassador Barbara Lev of the US National Security Council.

Sisi welcomed the meeting with the US Secretary of State, conveying his greetings to President Joe Biden, and highlighted the strategic partnership relations between Egypt and the United States, according to Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady.

Blinken conveyed to Sisi the greetings of the US President, stressing his country's interest in strengthening strategic relations with Egypt, as well as intensifying coordination and joint consultations on all Middle East issues, in light of the effective political weight that Egypt enjoys in the Middle East and its regional surroundings.

Sisi and Blinken also tackled the developments of the Palestinian issue and ways to revive the peace process in the wake of the recent developments in the Palestinian territories.

On his part, the US Secretary of State hailed the Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and work to consolidate it, affirming that Biden fully supports the aforementioned Egyptian efforts. 

“The recent developments stressed the importance of working immediately to resume direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis with effective US involvement, to bring the two sides back to the dialogue table,” he noted during the meeting.

Moreover, Sisi asserted Egypt's keenness to cooperate closely with the United States in this regard, affirming Cairo’s solid position to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international resolutions. 

They also agreed to strengthen coordination and bilateral consultation between the two countries regarding the consolidation of the ceasefire as well as launching the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip based on the Egyptian initiative in this framework.