Vice President Mike Pence pressured Egypt's leader over religious freedom and attacks on Christians on Saturday as the pair met on the first leg of a three-country tour of the Middle East.
Pence also told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi United States would support a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians if the two sides agreed to it, seeking to reassure a key Arab ally over President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
It is the highest-level visit by a US official to the region since December, when Trump upended decades of US policy on Jerusalem in a move opposed by Arab leaders including Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The pair discussed 'efforts to combat terrorism', Pence told reporters, particularly mentioning attacks on Coptic Christians as well as on mosques. They also discussed the 'importance of religious freedom -- a great priority for the people of the United States of America,' Pence said. He 'urged President Al Sisi on in his commitment to promote religious diversity and the respect for all religious viewpoints here in Egypt'.
Sisi is strongly oppposed to the US' decision to recognise Jerusalem as Egypt's capital.
'We heard President al-Sisi out,' Pence told reporters after their meeting, saying the Egyptian leader described his objection to Trump's decision as a 'disagreement between friends.'
Pence said he assured Sisi that the United States was committed to preserving the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem and had come to no final resolution on boundaries for the two parties.
'My perception was that he was encouraged by that message,' Pence said.
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement that Sisi noted that only negotiations based on a two-state solution could bring an end to the conflict, 'and Egypt would spare no effort to support this.'
Pence said he also pressed Sisi about two Americans who have been imprisoned in Egypt since 2013, as well as for reform of Egypt's restrictive laws on non-governmental organizations.
In his meeting with Egypt's president, Pence pledged firm US backing in the nation's fight against Islamist militants and said ties between the two countries had never been stronger after a period of 'drifting apart.'
'We stand shoulder to shoulder with you in Egypt in the fight against terrorism,' Pence told Sisi.
Egypt has faced security problems, including attacks by Islamic State militants in the North Sinai region. Trump has made the fight against Islamic State a top priority.
Though Pence intends to discuss counterterrorism issues throughout the trip, the Jerusalem decision remains a hot topic. Trump's announcement, which also set in motion the process of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, prompted Palestinians to reject the United States as a peace broker.
From Cairo, Pence headed to Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah, a close US ally. Abdullah warned against declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it would have a dangerous impact on regional stability and obstruct US efforts to resume peace talks.
Many people in Jordan are descendants of Palestinian refugees whose families left after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Pence will end his trip in Israel, where he will be warmly welcomed following Trump's designation. He plans to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, address the Israeli legislature and visit the Western Wall.
Pence is not scheduled to meet Palestinian leaders. They were incensed by Trump's decision on Jerusalem, which upended the longstanding US position that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must determine the city's status.
'The United States of America is deeply committed to restarting the peace process in the Middle East,' Pence told reporters.
The Trump administration's announcement on Thursday that it was withholding about half the aid it was set to give a United Nations relief agency that serves the Palestinians raised questions about fledgling US efforts to revive peace talks and further undermined Arabs' faith that the United States can act as an impartial arbitrator.
Pence also plans to visit US troops while he is in the region.
Additional reporting from Reuters.
