国际英语新闻:Egypt's Sisi underlines importance to boost Egyptian-U.S. ties

CAIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Monday the importance to continue boosting relations between Egypt and the United States in various fields to face common challenges.

Sisi's comments came during his meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who visits the Arab country for the first time.

Sisi reaffirmed to Tillerson that Egyptian-U.S. relations are strategic and deeply rooted, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

President Sisi also briefed the U.S. top diplomat on the efforts carried out by Egypt in the fight against terrorism, in addition to efforts to achieve economic and social development, according to the spokesman.

The president expressed Egypt's keenness to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as increasing U.S. investments in Egypt.

The spokesman pointed out that Sisi and Tillerson discussed various regional issues, including the situation in Libya and Syria, in addition to efforts exerted to reach a political settlement to the ongoing crises.

On the Palestinian cause, Sisi stressed Egypt's stance concerning the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The president said that the United States, the main sponsor of the Middle East peace process, should work on reviving the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Rady said.

Secretary Tillerson on Sunday launched a regional trip to visit Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Kuwait.

His trip comes amid regional discontent of the U.S. administration's decision to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Egypt receives annual military aid of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, making it the second largest recipient of U.S. annual aid after Israel, Washington's top ally in the region.