Shoukry meets Tillerson, McMasters

CAIRO – 28 February 2017: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry discussed regional issues with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a meeting in Washington D.C. on Monday. According to a

statement

published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tillerson told Shoukry the U.S. wants to bolster cooperation with Egypt in its fight against terrorism, hinting at a possible increase in aid.

Shoukry’s meeting comes on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump announced he is seeking to slash $54 billion from non-defense programs, diverting those funds to the military and defense budgets,

CNN reported

.

Shoukry also met with newly-appointed National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster on Monday, according to the

Foreign Ministry

. McMaster and the foreign minister also spoke about Egypt-U.S. relations and regional issues such as the Syrian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. McMaster reportedly told Shoukry that the U.S. under Trump is keen to strengthen ties and increase bilateral cooperation.

Shoukry’s visit to the U.S. is a

prelude

to an upcoming visit by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in March.