Sisi to meet with Trump in Washington first week of April

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is to visit the United States upon invitation from his counterpart U.S. President Donald Trump within the first week in April, Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Sunday.

During the three-day visit, the leaders are set to discuss bilateral cooperation and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited the U.S. last month to prepare for the visit.

Rhetoric from both sides since Trump’s election late last year has been warm, in contrast with relations under the administration of Former President Barack Obama which grew strained after the ouster of Egypt’s Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Shortly after Morsi’s ouster, which the Obama administration described as a military coup, Washington temporarily suspended its annual $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt. However, aid was resumed in 2015.

Sisi was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his election as president in November 2016.

The Egyptian president met with then-presidential candidate Trump in September last year on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly in New York.

Trump described his meeting with Sisi as productive and great.

Source: Ahram online