U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a press conference with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on SundayCAIRO - 12 February 2018: U.S. stands with Egypt in its operations against terrorism in Sinai, said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on Monday.Tillerson added that Egypt has suffered from terror attacks by the Islamic State (IS) group and other terrorist organizations for several years.On Monday morning, Shoukry held discussions with Tillerson, where they tackled recent developments in the region. Tillerson has started his Middle East tour on Monday; the tour includes Amman, Ankara, Beirut, Cairo, and Kuwait, and takes place from February 11–16.“We have always advocated for free and fair elections, transparent elections not just in Egypt but in any country,” Tillerson said.“The U.S. is always going to advocate for electoral process that respects rights of citizens,” Tillerson told journalists during the press conference. Egyptian presidential election is due to take place in March.President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi will meet with Tillerson on Monday afternoon in Cairo to discuss bilateral partnership, how to further strengthen it, and how to coordinate on key regional issues including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, following the American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city; the decision which Egypt strongly rejected.On Friday, the army and naval forces began a military operation named “Full-Scale Operation in Sinai 2018” against terrorists affiliated to the Islamic State (IS) in Sinai (previously known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis), Military Spokesman Tamer al-Rifai announced.

Source: Egypt Today February 12, 2018 10:30 UTC