The US should revive negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis as the main guarantor of the peace process in the Middle East, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during their meeting in Cairo on Monday. In an official statement, Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's clear and unwavering stance on reaching a fair and comprehensive solution that guarantees the right of Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent state with its capital in East Jerusalem in line with the June 1967 borders in accordance with international resolutions. The meeting was President El-Sisi was attended by FM Sameh Shoukry and acting Egyptian General Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. According to Rady, El-Sisi and Tillerson also discussed the situations in Libya and Syria and efforts to reach political resolutions to the crises. The US Secretary of State emphasized Egypt's role as an important partner to the US, adding that the US is keen on strengthening and developing this relationship. Tillerson further stressed his country's commitment and support for Egypt's war against terrorism. On his side, President El-Sisi described relations between the two countries as “strategic and well-established.” “President El-Sisi pointed at the importance of continuing to work to boost it [this relationship] in different fields, enabling the countries to combat joint challenges they face," Rady said in the statement. The meeting between El-Sisi and Tillerson comes only a few hours after the US secretary met with Egyptian FM Shoukry. The US secretary stressed at a joint press conference with Shoukri that there was "no gap" in the relationship between Egypt and the United States in terms of fighting terrorism in the region. The US secretary is in Cairo for the first leg of a five-country tour in the Middle East, during which he will also visit Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In January, US Vice President Mike Pence met with Egyptian President El-Sisi in Cairo.
