US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed Egypt’s security and economic challenges with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi early Wednesday in Cairo as part of a short visit to the country.

Presidency spokesperson Alaa Youssef said the two talked about how to increase bilateral cooperation between their countries, and discussed the latest developments in the civil conflicts in Libya and Syria.

Following the meeting, Kerry described the talks as "serious" and "constructive."

"I will come back with additional thoughts about ways in which we can work together to invigorate the economy, to attract investment, to create jobs, and also ways that we can work together in order to deal with Daesh [the Islamic State militant group], and to help Egypt in terms of the security concerns that it has today," Kerry said in a statement released Wednesday evening by the US State Department.

Kerry added that the United States understands Egypt’s importance in the region and is committed to supporting stability and helping the country overcome its challenges.

After spending several hours in Cairo, Kerry headed to Saudi Arabia to attend the US-Gulf States Summit attended by US President Barack Obama.