Egypt’s Sisi, US national security advisor discuss regional issues in Cairo visit

Egypt’s president and visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan agreed to intensify international efforts over upcoming elections in Libya at talks in Cairo on Wednesday, an Egyptian presidency statement said.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Sullivan also discussed reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), bilateral relations and the situations in Tunisia, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, the statement said.

It made no mention of human rights, which the White House said on Tuesday would also be on the agenda during Sullivan’s visit.

Sullivan arrived in Cairo after trips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and was accompanied by Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.

On Libya, the two sides agreed to reinforce coordination on the withdrawal of foreign forces and the unification of Libyan military institutions, the statement said. Sisi stressed the importance of sticking to a plan to hold elections in December, it added.

The planned poll is part of a United Nations-led effort to reunify Libya after years of conflict and division, but faces deep challenges.