US Trump and Egypt’s Sisi speak by phone, discuss counter-terrorism efforts

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Friday and agreed on continuing efforts to decisively confront terrorism, and the importance of standing together against armed and extremist groups and countries that support and finance terrorism, Egyptian state agency MENA reported.

Sisi and Trump also agreed that the policy of continuous intervention in the internal affairs of other countries through supporting “extremist thinking and terrorist groups is unacceptable,” the Egyptian president’s spokesperson Alaa Youssef said.

Trump also emphasised the importance of maintaining unity among Arab countries, Reuters news agency reported citing a statement by the White House.

The two presidents also agreed on continuing coordination and consultation on a high level to boost efforts towards regaining stability in the Middle East, and eliminating terrorism.

According to Reuters, it was the fourth call Trump has had with a regional leader since Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday over long-standing accusations that Doha is supporting terrorist groups, which Doha has denied.

Sisi praised Trump for his participation in the recent Arab-American Islamic summit in Riyadh, which laid the foundation for a unified front to fight terrorism at all levels, Youssef added.

On Friday, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain issued a joint statement designating 12 entities and 59 individuals as involved in terrorist activities and linked to Qatar. Source: Ahram online