CAIRO: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that America’s defense partnership with Egypt is an “essential pillar” of Washington’s commitment to the Middle East.
Austin made the remark on Twitter after touching down in Cairo on the latest leg of his Middle East tour. He was greeted by senior Egyptian military officials at the Cairo airport.
Austin is expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and other high-ranking officials before departing later Wednesday for Israel. His previous stoops on the tour included Jordan and Iraq. He was in Baghdad on Tuesday on an unannounced visit, days before the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Egypt is one of the largest recipients in the Mideast of American economic and military aid and an abiding US ally in the region. But in recent years, US lawmakers have sought to condition that aid on human rights improvements and reforms.
Since coming to power in 2013, El-Sisi’s government has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands. Officials have targeted not only Islamist political opponents but also pro-democracy activists, journalists and online critics.
“The US-Egypt defense partnership is an essential pillar of our commitment to this region,” Austin posted on Twitter. ‘’I’m here to strengthen our coordination on key issues and to pursue opportunities to deepen our long-standing bilateral partnership with Egypt.”
Egypt has also played a key role in brokering numerous cease-fire agreements between Israeli and Palestinian leaders over recent years. Austin’s trip comes as violence has surged across the occupied West Bank to its highest levels in years.
Both the United States and Egypt are also currently engaged in cross-party talks seeking to end enduring political crises in neighboring Libya and Sudan.
US defense secretary: Egypt partnership ‘essential pillar’
https://arab.news/5jggh
US defense secretary: Egypt partnership ‘essential pillar’
Palestinian president receives draft of constitution ahead of elections
- Local elections scheduled for April, Palestinian National Council elections in November
- Draft constitution maintains political pluralism, separation of powers, while also allowing parliament to carry out oversight, legislative responsibilities
LONDON: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has received a draft of the provisional constitution as the Palestinian Authority prepares to conduct elections this year.
Abbas said on Thursday that the drafting of the provisional Palestinian constitution would pave the way for the transition from the current Palestinian Authority to a fully fledged state, which to date about 160 countries have recognized.
Palestinian local elections are scheduled for April, while the Palestinian National Council elections are to take place in November, according to a decree issued by Abbas last week. The latter are for the Palestine Liberation Organization’s parliament and it will be the first time members are elected by direct popular vote, rather than appointed or co-opted.
Counselor Muhammad Al-Hajj Qasim led the drafting committee, which worked for about seven months and held 70 meetings. It consulted various civil society organizations and relevant stakeholders, according to the WAFA News Agency.
Qasim said the draft constitution maintained political pluralism and the separation of powers, while allowing parliament to carry out its oversight and legislative responsibilities. A copy of the draft will be submitted to the PLO’s Executive Committee.
The last national election for Palestinians was in 2006 but they voted for local representatives in 2021.
The Palestinian Legislative Council has not convened since 2007. Abbas dissolved the parliament in 2018 after it had remained inactive for over a decade, largely due to a rift between Fatah and Hamas, and the arrest of several MPs, primarily from Hamas, by the Israeli authorities.
