WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. and Egyptian leaders agreed on Thursday to continue the military and intelligence relations between their countries.
In a phone conversation, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "agreed on the importance of continuing their countries' close military and intelligence relationships," the White House said in a statement.
It said Obama affirmed U.S. commitment to the strategic partnership with Egypt and stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation to promote "shared interests" in counterterrorism and regional security.
The American leader also voiced concern about human rights issues in Egypt, including mass trials, and encouraged al-Sisi to "invest in the political, economic and social aspirations of the Egyptian people," the White House said.
In the fiscal 2015 spending bill passed by Congress on Saturday, the Obama administration has allocated 1.4 billion dollars in aid to Egypt, with the bulk in the form of military aid.
