El-Sisi’s meeting with Pelosi took place on the sidelines of the 27^th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), which takes place from 6 to 18 November in the Red Sea resort city with the participation of dozens of world leaders and heads of state and tens of thousands of participants.

The meeting comes a day before a scheduled visit by US President Joe Biden to attend the climate summit, which will be his first visit to Egypt since taking office in January 2021.

Boosting bilateral relations

During their meeting, El-Sisi expressed keenness to boost Egypt-US relations within the framework of mutual respect and joint interests, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

This comes especially amid a turbulent regional situation and challenges, on top of which is instability, the threat of terrorism, and the negative implications on economy and food and energy security, he added.

El-Sisi affirmed that such challenges have been caused by successive global crises, especially the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, calling for solidarity in the face of such global implications.

El-Sisi and Pelosi and their delegations discussed means of boosting bilateral relations in many fields, especially regarding the military, political, and economic aspects.

Egypt’s counterterrorism efforts

Pelosi hailed Egypt’s effective role in fighting terrorism and extremist thought, reforming religious discourse, and establishing noble values of freedom of belief, tolerance, and acceptance of the other.

She also praised Egypt’s huge efforts in achieving sustainable and comprehensive development.

Pelosi lauded Egypt as a main pillar of security and stability in the Middle East and the Arab World. She added that Egypt is a pivotal partner to the US in the region, according to the statement.

The president reviewed with Pelosi the efforts Egypt has made in the fight against terrorism and extremism. He affirmed the country will continue its fight against extremist thoughts that incite violence, sabotage and destruction of states.

El-Sisi said he is keen to continuously communicate with US congressional leaders within the framework of coordination and consultation between the two countries on issues of mutual concern.

Regional, int’l issues

During the meeting, El-Sisi and Pelosi and the delegations discussed a number of regional issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the statement said.

El-Sisi stressed Egypt’s unwavering stance regarding the necessity of reaching a legally-binding deal on the filling and operation of the Ethiopian dam in a way that achieves the interests of all parties and preserves the Egyptian water security.

Pelosi also praised Egypt’s efforts to support peace process and maintain calm between Palestinians and Israelis.

The Egyptian president reiterated the need to reach a fair and comprehensive solution that ensures the rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international references and in a way that opens horizons of peaceful coexistence and cooperation among peoples in the region.

El-Sisi briefed the US delegation on his vision regarding various regional and international issues, including the crises in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, in addition to Egypt’s efforts to reach political settlements for these issues.

The president highlighted the need for ending foreign interference and presence of armed militias and extremist groups in these countries and endorsing the concept of the state and its institutions, central government, and national armies in parallel.

Pelosi hailed Egypt’s distinguished organisation of the climate summit, said the presidential spokesman.

COP27, held under the theme “together for implementation”, concluded its fifth day today with repetitive calls for fulfilling climate pledges, ensuring providing climate finance to developing states, and pushing forward climate action collectively

The conference has seen the participation of more than 40,000 participants.