By Mohamed
Wali, CAIRO, Egypt
U.S. President Joe Biden called Egypt’s President Abdelfattah al-Sisi on Monday and they discussed strengthening the Gaza ceasefire, urgent humanitarian aid to the strip and international reconstruction efforts, the Egyptian presidency said.
The two leaders also discussed ways to revive the peace process
between Israelis and Palestinians after the latest wave of violence between the
two sides, the presidency said in a statement.
Egypt brokered the ceasefire, now in its fourth day after 11
days of hostilities. Cairo will be a stop during the visit of U.S. Secretary of
State Antony Blinken to the region later on Monday.
“Biden made clear his country’s determination to work to restore
calm and restore conditions as they were in the Palestinian territories, as
well as coordinating efforts with all international partners to support the
Palestinian Authority as well as reconstruction,” the statement said.
In Washington, the White House said in a statement that Biden in
the call thanked Egypt for its “successful diplomacy and coordination with the
United States” to end the hostilities.
Biden and Sisi discussed the urgent need to deliver humanitarian
assistance in Gaza and support rebuilding efforts “in a manner that benefits
the people there and not Hamas”, it said.
It was Biden’s second call to Sisi within days to discuss the
conflict. But this time, the discussion was expanded to bilateral relations and
some regional issues, including Libya and Iraq.
Biden and Sisi exchanged views on the giant Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam, which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile and Egypt sees as
an existential threat, the presidency said. Sudan is concerned about the dam’s
safety and about regulating water flows through its own dams and water
stations.
The statement said “it was agreed to strengthen diplomatic
efforts during the coming period in order to reach an agreement that preserves
water and developmental rights for all parties.”
The White House statement said Biden “acknowledged Egypt’s
concerns about access to Nile River waters and underscored the U.S. interest in
achieving a diplomatic resolution that meets the legitimate needs of Egypt,
Sudan, and Ethiopia.”
Sisi and Biden also discussed human rights in Egypt and their
“commitment to engage in a transparent dialogue... in this regard,” the
presidency said.
Biden “underscored the importance of a constructive dialogue on
human rights in Egypt,” according to the White House statement.
Sisi, who ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power in 2013, has
overseen an extensive crackdown on political dissent that has steadily
tightened in recent years. He has said there are no political prisoners in
Egypt and that stability and security are paramount.
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