US-Egypt: A New Wave of Warm Relations

• 08.04.2015, 10:03
•  Near East,  World

The US initiated "strategic dialogue" with Egypt which once was United States’ main partner in the Middle East. The US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Cairo where he met Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri. Kerry said they are going to deepen cooperation in political, economic and military fields.

John Kerry said the United States and Egypt are returning to a "stronger base" in bilateral ties despite tensions and human rights concerns, Reuters reports. In his turn, Egyptian Foreign Minister said Cairo had no major disagreements with Washington, only "differences in points of view over some issues, which is natural". He also emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation in the military sphere.

At the same time Egyptian presidency said in a statement that US president Barack Obama told Egypt's president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi that he hopes the strategic dialogue between the two countries will deepen cooperation and contribute to Egypt's development, Egyptian Al-Ahram reports. During the meeting with Egypt's president, Kerry also highlighted his country's support for Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism, both at the domestic level in Sinai and at the regional level, pointing to the US' readiness to cooperate with Egypt in this regard and provide any necessary support to confront terrorism and defeat it.

Egypt is one of the biggest recipients of the American aid in the Middle East. It annually receives 1,3 billion dollars of military aid from Washington. Egypt has primary importance in America's Middle East policy. It signed peace agreement with Israel and controls Suez canal.

But in July 2013 after the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi of the Islamic Brotherhood, relations between the two countries became tense and the United States announced the suspension of its annual military aid to Egypt, because Washington described that event as a "military coup".

However, in March 2015, the Obama administration resumed American aid, probably taking into consideration Egypt’s importance in its Middle East policy. Last week the US sent eight F-16 fighter jets to Cairo.

It is not excluded that this change in Washington's position is conditioned by intensification of terrorist groups in the region. The US needs Egypt to fight against them. On the other hand, the US probably has begun to realize that the Egyptian authoritarian model of governance is more preferable than the same Islamic groups that can get out of control at any moment. Of course, the American administration will formally continue speaking about the need of human rights reforms in Egypt.