President Trump will host Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the White House on April 9 as the Trump administration prepares to release an Israel-Palestinian peace proposal.
The visit was announced Friday, with the White House saying the men will “discuss strengthening the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt and building on our robust military, economic, and counterterrorism cooperation.”
The White House said the men will also discuss “developments and shared priorities in the region, including enhancing regional economic integration and addressing ongoing conflicts.”
Sissi’s visit will coincide Israel’s April 9 legislative elections. Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner said last month that the White House will release its Israel-Palestinian peace plan following the election. A draft of the plan reportedly included regional land swaps.
Sissi, a former military intelligence chief, is known as a secularist, notably defending the rights of his country’s large Christian minority. But he’s also built a reputation for stifling free speech and internal dissent since overthrowing the democratically-elected Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
It’s unclear if Trump and Sissi will host a joint press conference during his visit.
Trump previously met with Sissi in May 2017, inaugurating a counterterrorism center in Saudi Arabia. The men memorably posed with their hands on a glowing orb, along with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
