Egypt’s Al-Sisi, Trump Discuss Gaza Ceasefire, Nile Dispute on G7 Sidelines
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and US counterpart Donald Trump held a bilateral meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed a range of regional and international issues, most notably the US-Iran preliminary deal, the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and the Nile water dispute between Cairo and Addis Ababa.
Middle East Peace
According to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency, Al-Sisi welcomed the recently announced US-Iran deal, expressing Egypt’s readiness to cooperate with regional and international partners to support the agreement and achieve enduring solutions to various protracted issues.
Furthermore, the Egyptian President expressed his hope that the coming period will see a unified effort to resolve the various conflicts in the Middle East, chief among them the Palestinian cause. He reiterated that a resolution is vital to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
In light of this, Al-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s steadfast commitment to continued coordination with the US to push for the full implementation of President Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip, and to restore calm to the region.
Trump, for his part, praised Egypt‘s role in supporting the negotiation process and urging regional de-escalation, expressing keenness to maintain close coordination between Cairo and Washington to strengthen regional peace and stability.
Nile Dispute
The two leaders also discussed the Nile dispute, triggered by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Ethiopia officially inaugurated in September 2025 despite unresolved disagreements with Egypt and Sudan.
With regards to this, Al-Sisi stressed that the Nile River issue is a “matter of national security for Egypt,” appreciating Trump’s interest in such a pivotal issue for Cairo.
The US President said he deeply understands Egypt’s concerns, underscoring his commitment to prioritizing this issue to secure a fair and lasting settlement.
In remarks ahead of the meeting, Trump acknowledged that the GERD is “causing tremendous problems” for Egypt, hoping he could help resolve the dispute. “We will see if we can settle it up,” he said.
