World News | US Defence Secretary: Egypt Partnership 'essential Pillar'

Cairo, Mar 8 (AP) US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that America's defence partnership with Egypt is an "essential pillar" of Washington's commitment to the Middle East.

Austin made the remark on Twitter after touching down in Cairo on the latest leg of his Middle East tour. He was greeted by senior Egyptian military officials at the Cairo airport.

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Austin is expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and other high-ranking officials before departing later Wednesday for Israel. His previous stoops on the tour included Jordan and Iraq. He was in Baghdad on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, days before the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.

Egypt is one of the largest recipients in the Mideast of American economic and military aid and an abiding US ally in the region. But in recent years, US lawmakers have sought to condition that aid on human rights improvements and reforms.

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Since coming to power in 2013, el-Sissi's government has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands. Officials have targeted not only Islamist political opponents but also pro-democracy activists, journalists and online critics.

"The US-Egypt defence partnership is an essential pillar of our commitment to this region,'' Austin posted on Twitter. 'I'm here to strengthen our coordination on key issues and to pursue opportunities to deepen our long-standing bilateral partnership with Egypt."

Egypt has also played a key role in brokering numerous cease-fire agreements between Israeli and Palestinian leaders over recent years. Austin's trip comes as violence has surged across the occupied West Bank to its highest levels in years.

Both the United States and Egypt are also currently engaged in cross-party talks seeking to end enduring political crises in neighboring Libya and Sudan. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)