Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his accompanying delegation on Tuesday, in the presence of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and General Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel. Al-Sisi stressed the need to take serious steps towards a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, to ensure sustainable stability in the region. Blinken expressed his country's keenness to continue coordination and joint efforts with Egypt to reach calm and prevent the expansion of the conflict, praising Egypt's role in supporting security and stability in the region. The spokesperson for the presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, said that Blinken stressed the continuation of the US in strengthening the strategic partnership with Egypt, in support of efforts to maintain stability, peace and development in the region. The meeting focused on the developments of intensive efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, exchange detainees, and provide the necessary relief assistance to end the humanitarian suffering in Gaza. Al-Sisi explained the tremendous efforts Egypt is making, in difficult field conditions, to provide, coordinate and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, in coordination with the relevant UN and relief institutions, stressing the importance of the pivotal role played by the UNRWA in this regard. Al-Sisi also stressed the need to implement international and UN resolutions on the crisis and take serious steps towards a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, to ensure sustainable stability in the region. In a related context, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, commenting on the meeting, said that they discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all hostages. According to a statement distributed by the US embassy in Cairo, "Blinken expressed his appreciation for Egypt's leading role in facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. Secretary Blinken reiterated the US's rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state that provides peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike." "Minister Blinken and President Al-Sisi also discussed the common goals of regional stability and prosperity, including stopping Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea," he added. Blinken left Cairo for Qatar as part of his tour of the region, to give impetus to the ongoing Egyptian-Qatari mediated talks with Hamas to reach an agreement on the cessation of aggression and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. This is Blinken's fifth trip to the region since the seventh of October and comes at a time when Washington is also trying to prevent further escalation elsewhere in the region, after two days of air strikes on armed groups across the Middle East.
