Egypt, Algeria Seek to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat holding talks with Algerian ambassador in Cairo Hameed Shbeira (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat holding talks with Algerian ambassador in Cairo Hameed Shbeira (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Egypt, Algeria Seek to Boost Political, Economic Cooperation

Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat holding talks with Algerian ambassador in Cairo Hameed Shbeira (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat holding talks with Algerian ambassador in Cairo Hameed Shbeira (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation Rania al-Mashat met with the Algerian ambassador in Cairo, Hameed Shbeira, ahead of the Joint Higher Committee meeting between the two countries.

The talks addressed the developments of cooperation in various fields, preparations for the Joint Higher Committee, and the results of previous sessions at the level of joint committees.

Mashat expressed Egypt's aspiration to advance bilateral relations in various fields taking advantage of the great economic potentials of both countries.

She stressed the keenness of both political leaderships to overcome any obstacle that might prevent economic integration.

Mashat asserted the importance of reactivating the role of the Joint Higher Committee, as its last session was held in 2014.

The statement reported that the Algerian ambassador reflected his country's desire to advance relations with Egypt in various areas.

Shbeira stressed that both leaders aim to push the relations forward, which will be reflected in the development efforts, indicating that Algeria also wants to resume the meetings of the Joint Higher Committee.

Earlier this week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi received a written letter from his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune, delivered by the Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra.

Tebboune underlined Algeria's pride in its close and distinguished relations with Egypt at the official and popular levels.

In his letter, the President also stressed his county's interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation with Egypt in various fields.

Tebboune said he looks forward to further enhancing coordination and consultation with Sisi during the coming period to counter the various challenges facing the region and the Arab nation and reinforce joint Arab action.

The meeting tackled ways to foster closer bilateral relations, emphasizing the importance of holding the next session of the Joint Higher Committee at the level of the two countries prime ministers during the current year.

It also highlighted the importance of holding the next session of the political consultation mechanism at the level of the two foreign ministers.



US Troops Need to Stay in Syria to Counter ISIS, Austin Says

FILE - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes a speech at Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
FILE - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes a speech at Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
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US Troops Need to Stay in Syria to Counter ISIS, Austin Says

FILE - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes a speech at Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
FILE - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin makes a speech at Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

The US needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the ISIS group from reconstituting as a major threat following the ouster of Bashar Assad's government, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press.
American forces are still needed there, particularly to ensure the security of detention camps holding tens of thousands of former ISIS fighters and family members, Austin said Wednesday in one of his final interviews before he leaves office.
According to estimates, there are as many as 8,000-10,000 ISIS fighters in the camps, and at least 2,000 of them are considered to be very dangerous.
If Syria is left unprotected, “I think ISIS fighters would enter back into the mainstream,” Austin said at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he traveled to discuss military aid for Ukraine with about 50 partner nations.
“I think that we still have some work to do in terms of keeping a foot on the throat of ISIS," he said.
President-elect Donald Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria in 2018 during his first term, which prompted the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. As the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, advanced against Assad last month, Trump posted on social media that the US military needed to stay out of the conflict.
The US has about 2,000 troops in Syria to counter ISIS, up significantly from the 900 forces that officials said for years was the total number there. They were sent in 2015 after the militant group had conquered a large swath of Syria.
The continued presence of US troops was put into question after a lightning insurgency ousted Assad on Dec. 8, ending his family’s decades long rule.
US forces have worked with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on operations against ISIS, providing cover for the group that Türkiye considers an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it identifies as a terror organization.
The Syrian transitional government is still taking shape, and uncertainty remains on what that will mean going forward.
The SDF “have been good partners. At some point, the SDF may very well be absorbed into the Syrian military and then Syria would own all the (ISIS detention) camps and hopefully keep control of them,” Austin said. "But for now I think we have to protect our interests there.”