WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is committed to providing military assistance to Egypt, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday, after the new Republican leader spoke with counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Trump “underscored the United States remains committed to the bilateral relationship, which helped both countries overcome challenges in the region for decades,” Spicer said.
Washington’s annual $1.3 billion in military aid was briefly suspended under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama in 2013, following the ouster of then president Mohamed Morsi, but was fully reinstated in 2015.
Ties have nonetheless been fraught amid disagreements over a rights crackdown and Egypt’s support for renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar.
Spicer said “the two leaders discussed a visit to the United States in the future,” and stressed counter terror cooperation.
