The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry opened the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue, the first bilateral dialogue held since 2015. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister welcomed the opportunity to deepen the strong partnership between the United States and Egypt.
During their bilateral meeting at the beginning of the dialogue, Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Shoukry exchanged views on international and regional issues, human rights, and pathways to increased cooperation on economic, judicial, security, education, and cultural issues. Secretary Blinken also expressed appreciation for Egypt’s role in supporting regional stability, including its continued work to de-escalate tensions in Gaza, and efforts in support of UNSMIL in Libya. The Secretary underscored the U.S. government’s commitment to Egypt’s water security. The Secretary reaffirmed President Biden’s commitment that human rights will be central to U.S. foreign policy and welcomed the chance to discuss Egypt’s human rights goals. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister agreed that the Strategic Dialogue presents an opportunity to advance each of these areas of collaboration and agreed to maintain close coordination on these issues going forward.