Egypt’s Sisi gets warm welcome at Pentagon as Cairo assumes naval role
Egypt took charge of Combined Task Force 153 on Monday as the Pentagon seeks to economize its footprint in the Middle East.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was cordially received in Washington this week, where he met with US defense chief Lloyd Austin after attending separate discussions with top US diplomat Antony Blinken and a handful of House lawmakers earlier on Wednesday.
Sisi also met with President Biden on the sidelines of the summit on Thursday. This was the Egyptian leader's first visit to Washington since Biden came to office in 2021.
He joined more than 40 African leaders who convened in the US capital this week to hear how the Biden administration plans to help them secure their countries' futures on a global stage, but only Sisi received an audience at the Pentagon.
“The administration greatly appreciates Egypt’s leadership and cooperation in achieving our shared security objectives,” Austin said before the cameras ahead of their meeting on Wednesday.
