WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi held talks with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis at the Pentagon on Wednesday where they expressed hopes to collaborate on counterterror measures, the Defense Department said in a press release.
“The two leaders discussed a range of Middle East security issues and expressed their desire to cooperate on counter-terrorism and regional challenges. They recognized defense cooperation as the backbone of the US-Egyptian bilateral relationship,” the release stated.
Mattis also looked forward to visiting Cairo in the near future, the release added.
On Monday, Sisi met with President Donald Trump at the White House and the leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations.