Endowments Minister, U.S. Ambassador Discuss Co-op, Humanitarian Priorities
Nada Mustafa
Dr. Osama Al-Azhari, Egypt's Minister of Endowments, received U.S. Ambassador to Cairo, Herro Mustafa Garg, today at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital (NAC).
The American delegation also included Mr. Scott Stanford, Political Advisor at the U.S. Embassy, and Mr. Curtis Chan, Regional Director of English Language Programs at the embassy.
From the Egyptian side, the meeting was attended by Ambassador Sameh Aboul-Enein, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for American Affairs; Sheikh Khaled Khadr, Head of the Religious Affairs Sector at the Ministry; Dr. Tarek Abdel-Hamid, Director of the Central Administration for the Minister's Office Affairs; and Dr. Osama Raslan, the Ministry's Spokesperson and Head of the Media Office.
The two sides discussed ongoing cooperation between Egypt and the United States in the fields of economy, science, culture, and education.
They exchanged views on several key issues, including promoting a spirit of tolerance and moderation, and the importance of providing exemplary role models to foster coexistence, mutual respect, and religious freedom.
US Ambassador praised Egypt's significant progress in promoting tolerance, particularly under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who has shown a personal commitment to these values.
Al-Azhari expressed his hope that the United States would fully uphold human rights and humanitarian values, beginning with urgent relief for the people of Gaza.
He described the suffering there as beyond words and called for action grounded in compassion.
He also expressed his desire to deepen cooperation between Egypt's religious institutions and American academic and research centers in pursuit of shared humanitarian goals.
For her part, US Ambassador commended the Minister's initiatives against extremism, noting that his efforts long predate his tenure as minister.
She expressed interest in expanding cooperation in this domain both regionally and internationally, emphasizing Egypt's vital role as a center of moderate Islam and a key player in global counterterrorism efforts.
She also noted her multiple visits to El-Arish to support humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza and praised Egypt's role in facilitating aid, highlighting that 98% of global assistance to Gaza passes through Egypt, describing this as a deeply humanitarian contribution worthy of international recognition.
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