Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with the chief of US Central Command in Cairo on Monday for talks on combating terrorism and consolidating the bilateral partnership, the presidential spokesman said. During the meeting with General Joseph Votel, El-Sisi stressed the importance of military relations between Egypt and the United States, which are considered a main axis in the current cooperation between the two countries, according to the statement by spokesman Alaa Youssef. El-Sisi has also praised the launch of the Egyptian-American joint military exercise "Bright Star 2017", which is being conducted between 10-20 September at the Mohamed Naguib military base in western Egypt. The president said that the exercise reflects the significance and the depth of the military cooperation between the two sides, especially under the current circumstances the region is facing. These circumstances require unified efforts, to deal with the challenges arising from them that threaten the security and stability of the region and the whole world, the president added. El-Sisi informed the US official of Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism through a comprehensive strategy that takes into consideration cultural, social, economic, as well as military and security aspects, the statement added. El-Sisi also stressed the importance of the efforts to fight the countries and the groups which support and finance terrorism, adding that all terrorist organisations should be confronted without partiality. From his side, Votel expressed his country's keenness on developing partnership relations with Egypt, welcoming the resumption of Bright Star, the statement reads, stressing the importance of such exercises in consolidating both countries' efforts against common challenges, especially terrorism. The American official stressed the influential role of Egypt in the region, asserting the US' commitment to consolidating its strategic relations with Egypt. Votel also expressed his appreciation for Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism, and the impact of those efforts on consolidating regional security and stability, Youssef added. The meeting was also attended by the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces, Lieutenant General Mahmoud Hegazy, as well as the chargé d'affaires at the US embassy in Cairo, Thomas H. Goldberger. The meeting has also tackled the latest developments on the regional level, especially ongoing regional crises, in regards to which El-Sisi stressed the importance of political solutions.
