Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Al-SisiReuters

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Tuesday met in Cairo with Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, the Egyptian presidency said, according to the Al-Ahram newspaper.

The two discussed Egyptian-US relations, the latest developments in the peace process in the Middle East in addition to a number of issues in the region, including the war on terrorism, the statement said.

Lauder praised the strong relations between Egypt and the United States and how Egypt plays a role in preserving security and stability in the Middle East and the Arab world.

He also praised Egyptian efforts in fighting terrorism and the Egyptian government's economic reforms.

The head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel attended the meeting as well, according to Al-Ahram.

Lauder and Sisi previously met in 2017, when Sisi stressed the strong and strategic ties binding Egypt and the United States, assuring more cooperation during the upcoming period on all levels.

Egypt is one of two Arab countries, along with Jordan, to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. While the ties between the countries have been generally cold, they appear to have improved under Sisi, a former army chief of staff who was elected as president in 2014.

In recent years Israel has notably permitted the Egyptian military to boost its presence in the Sinai Peninsula several times, as it fights an insurgency by the local Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate.

Sisi several months ago acknowledged his country’s close security cooperation with Israel in the Sinai Peninsula.

"The Air Force sometimes needs to cross to the Israeli side. And that's why we have a wide range of coordination with the Israelis," the Egyptian President told “60 Minutes” in January.