Boosting Egypt-US bilateral relations, including the US aid programme, economic and social reform programmes recently adopted by the Egyptian government as well as a review of Egypt's vision of the crises in Libya, Syria and Yemen were the main issues discussed during the visit to the US by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri. "Shoukri's meetings in the US reflected the increasing recognition of Egypt's centrality to US interests in the region and the necessity to support Egypt's endeavors for reform," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on Shoukri's visit to the US. "The talks also reconfirmed the special relations that the US and Egypt share, and the hopes for improved relations with the new US administration." The visit also aimed to give a boost to mutual cooperation between the two states, under the incoming administration led by President-elect Donald Trump, to try to push for a solution to the crises in the region, especially Syria. Shoukri was keen to explain to his counterpart John Kerry, and other US officials he met, the Egyptian vision for the way forward in Syria "based on two pillars: to preserve the national unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian state and support the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people in rebuilding their own state through an acceptable political solution that represents them all," Abu Zeid explained. In an attempt to combat terrorism, another challenge facing the region at present, Shoukri emphasised the priority of strengthening the role of the central state in order to counter the growing role of outlawed armed militias and sectarian strife, which has become a serious threat to the social structure and stability of several countries in the Middle East. Shoukri started his visit by holding talks with Kerry and signing a bilateral memorandum of understanding concerning the imposition of import restrictions on archaeological material in Egypt, the first agreement the US signs with a country in the Middle East in this field. In addition, the two officials tackled many regional issues, particularly the situation in Libya, Syria, Yemen and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as bilateral relations. The issue that topped their discussions was Egypt's economic and social reform programme, and the recent measures taken by the government in this respect. Kerry previously praised Egypt when it floated the Egyptian pound, which was a condition set by the IMF for a $12 million, three-year loan. The loan was officially approved last month. The two top diplomats held "detailed and in-depth discussions" of the crises in the Middle East, including in Libya, stressing the need to implement the Skhirat Agreement, the need to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Syria as well as resuming the political process of Syrian-Syrian negotiations as the main path to achieving the desired transition in Syria. The Palestinian issue was given prominence in the Shoukri-Kerry meeting. Shoukri stressed Egypt's support for the initiative proposed by France at the international peace conference held earlier this year, stressing the importance of intensifying existing efforts to encourage the Palestinians and Israelis to resume negotiations in accordance with international references. During his meeting with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan, the two discussed the various aspects of US-Egypt bilateral relations, as both sides look to strengthen bilateral relations after the inauguration of the new US administration. Shoukri met other top officials including Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Representative Eliot Engel, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also met Steve Hadley, former US national security advisor and president of the board of the US Institute of Peace, one of the most prestigious research centres in Washington. Hadley recently prepared, together with former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, a report to the new US administration that outlined a strategy to deal with the Middle East, with special recommendations for dealing with the major crises in the region. Hadley said the report specifies Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia as the four main countries that the US could give special attention to when looking to enforce stability in the Middle East. Shoukri also held intensive talks with leaders of the US Congress in both chambers where he met Senator Orrin Hatch, president pro tempore of the US Senate, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, and Kay Granger, chairperson of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programmes. He concluded his visit to Washington by meeting Senator Jack Reed, a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The meeting focused on regional challenges in the Middle East and the role of the Egyptian army in promoting stability in the region, according to Abu Zeid. The visit was a chance for Shoukri to address the 13th annual forum organised by the Brookings Institute's Saban Center for Middle East Policy. The forum was attended by distinguished Middle East officials. Shoukri was the first Egyptian minister to participate in the forum from which he shared Egypt's perspective on the key questions and the guiding principles that govern Egypt's foreign policy "in the troubled Middle East", Abu Zeid said. Shoukri is scheduled to meet new UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York to discuss a number of regional and international issues, in addition to presenting Egypt's expectations of the new UN secretary-general. Thorny issues that had strained mutual relations in the past were touched upon during the visit. Senator Reed brought up democratisation in Egypt, pointing out that Egypt should make more aggressive moves toward democratisation and accelerate its efforts to ensure continuing sound support from Washington. Shoukri said the path to democratisation and economic and social reform is a strategic choice by the Egyptian government, and was adopted in the interest of the Egyptian people, highlighting that the Egyptian government is serious in taking all necessary measures to redress economic inequalities that characterised the Egyptian economy over many years. Another issue was the role of non-governmental organisations in Egypt and the legal framework under which they operate. Members of Congress urged Egypt to take further steps in this area, in order to enable NGOs to play their role in supporting economic and social development programmes. Shoukri stressed Egypt's full commitment to supporting the efforts of civil society and to encourage it to play its role in support of Egypt's development programmes. US-Egyptian relations became strained after the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, a move that some members in the current US administration described as a military coup. The US stopped military aid in 2013 following Morsi's ouster. President Barack Obama restored it in 2015 in order to help combat the growing influence of terrorism in the Middle East.
