Egypt:US Keen on Closer Economic, Commercial Ties with Egypt As Leaders Set to Meet

The US plans to focus on the economic and commercial aspects of a relationship with Egypt "historically" driven by security as President Donald Trump hosts his counterpart Abdelfatah Al-Sisi in Washington

. Egypt's Al-Sisi was the first world leader to congratulate the US president on his election victory back in a November 2016 phone call.

. He was also the first leader to have met Trump two months prior to his election in New York.

. Since then, the two leaders spoke on the phone on January 23 with Trump hailing Al-Sisi's "courageous" economic reforms, and expressing US commitment to its assistance of Egypt's military in the fight against insurgency in the Sinai.

. Trump intends to "build on the strong connection the two presidents established when they first met in New York last September," a senior White House official said in a telephone briefing on the condition of anonymity.

. "President Trump's initial interactions with President Al-Sisi, including their phone call on January 23, have already improved the tone of the relationship.

. " The official went on to describe Egypt as "one of the traditional pillars of stability in the Middle East" and a "reliable" US partner. Trump "wants to increase the focus on economic and commercial cooperation in our bilateral relationship," said the official, which will add to a relationship that "has historically been driven by security.

. Furthermore, the official noted that security would remain a "key component" of this relationship as Trump "supports Al-Sisi's ambition to develop a comprehensive counterterrorism approach that involves military, political, economic, as well as social efforts.

. " Once again, the official reiterated Trump's praise of Al-Sisi's "bold steps on very sensitive issues," since assuming power in 2014, suggesting these measures have "sought to reestablish Egypt's regional leadership role.

. " The steps include bold economic reforms and calls for reform in moderation of Islamic discourse, according to the US official.

. Egypt, which considers the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist entity, will also aim to convince Washington to do the same.

. "We, along with a number of countries, have some concerns about various activities that the Muslim Brotherhood has conducted in the region," the US official said.

. The White House has said that aid to Egypt, worth USD 1.3 billion a year, will continue amid Trump's widescale budget cuts to government bodies, but the official said that "those discussions are ongoing as to how it will be broken out." During a discussion , former assistant state secretary under the Obama administration Tom Malinowski said he believes the current administration will focus on the security and economic aspects of its relationship with Egypt.

. He also suggested that the current US administration would see eye-to-eye on adding the Muslim Brotherhood to its Foreign Terrorists Organisation list.

. For her part, Michele Dunn, Middle East affairs director and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace believes that this will not be the case.

. She also commended the "good steps" taken by Al-Sisi on the economy so far but viewed that more needed to be done to create jobs for Egyptians.