Top US diplomat Antony Blinken said on Monday that Egypt had more work to do on human rights amid calls for Washington to take a tougher stance on Cairo's crackdown on political opponents during meetings with Egyptian officials.
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry suggested some resistance to Washington's push, saying human rights must be balanced with other considerations and emphasizing the importance of stability.
The two met ahead of a US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue in Washington, the first such talks since US President Joe Biden took power, pledging to put human rights at the center of his foreign policy.
Blinken in September announced the United States would withhold $130 million worth of military aid from Egypt until President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's government takes action on human rights. Egypt was not invited to Biden's flagship Summit for Democracy next month.
