Cairo, Washington agree to cement ties

Egypt and the United States have agreed to work on cementing bilateral ties on basis of mutual respect and common interests, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said on Saturday.
In a joint press conference with his US counterpart John Kerry in Cairo, Shoukri said the Secretary of State had had prolonged talks with President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi on bilateral ties, as well regional and international issues of common concern, the development in Iraq, Syria and Libya, in addition to the ceasefire in Gaza.
The talks also referred to the international meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, focusing on combating terrorism and the spread of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Shoukri said.
Sisi and Kerry also discussed developments of the Palestinian cause, the major issue in the region, Shoukri added. Both agreed on the importance of resuming negotiations for establishing a Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as a capital. Which is most likely to dissipate regional tension.
For his part, Kerry said that he and Shouklri would continue consultations, as part of the strong bilateral relations. He added that the talks in Cairo covered the in-the-making coalition to repel ISIL, and the regional scene as a whole, including the nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Kerry referred to the ties with Cairo are part of the US relations with the region. He said Washington is keen on supporting economic reforms and stability in Egypt.
Source: KUNA