Egypt's state news agency says the Pentagon's top general is visiting the country for security talks with the country's military rulers, amid tensions between the two allies over charges filed against 16 American civil society workers accused of fomenting unrest.

MENA reported Saturday that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has met with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and several members of the country's ruling military council, including his Egyptian counterpart Lt. Gen. Sami Anan.

The report says that they discussed "the depth of the strategic relationship between Washington and Cairo."

A Pentagon official had said prior to Dempsey's visit to Cairo that the nonprofit dispute would be raised in the meeting and that he would talk with Egypt's leaders about "choices and consequences."