Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sit for photos before their meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015
After six years of waiting, the United States and Egypt have rekindled formal strategic dialogue. While Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Cairo is by no means the only pathway to negotiations between Egypt and the U.S. (as many of these discussions have continued to take place behind the scenes over the past few years), his visit to Cairo symbolizes a rapprochement between the U.S. and one of the key players in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Ideally, it will provide an opening for expanded cooperation in the future. The talks between Secretary Kerry and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry gravitated toward three key components: shared security concerns, the P5+1 deal with Iran, and the release of aid and how this is connected to grievances over human rights status in Egypt. We offer analysis of the major concerns from both perspectives below. Details