Pentagon Spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Today in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi to discuss the U.S. commitment to advancing the security partnership and to exchange views on global challenges to collective security and the rules-based international order.
They discussed the wide range of threats posed by Iran, including its provision of unmanned aerial systems to Russia which have been used to attack civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. The Secretary praised Egypt for its regional leadership roles, including hosting the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference and Egypt's recent assumption of command of the Combined Maritime Forces' Task Force 153, focused which focuses on Red Sea security. The Secretary also reinforced respect for fundamental freedoms and the importance of human rights as imperative for security and stability.
Both leaders agreed to strengthen their close coordination on these issues, regional security challenges, and opportunities to strengthen the decades-long bilateral defense partnership.
