US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed appreciation toward cooperation of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on security issues.
During his testimony at the US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Kerry said that Egypt offers huge aid to face terrorism, in addition to efforts made to fight terrorism in Sinai.
He also highlighted the Egyptian role within the peace process in the Middle East as well as the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
Kerry expected the US administration to release more of the military aid to Egypt soon. He indicated progress by Egypt regarding setting the date of parliamentary elections, release of political activists and the NGO issues has encouraged the government to take more steps in this regard.
The US, according to Kerry, has started to see a clearer image of the pressures under which Sisi is working, in addition to restrictions that the Egyptian judiciary is working under. He stressed Egypt’s commitment to fighting of terrorism and its importance for stability of the region that the US needs.
US influence in Egypt has started to falter, Kerry said, referring to aid given by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Kerry indicated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Egypt, where he was highly welcomed, as well as the military deal that was struck between Egypt and Russia.
Edited translation from MENA
