Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met with United States secretary of state John Kerry Thursday on the sidelines of a conference held by the US-led coalition formed to fight the militant group Islamic State (IS).
Prior to their meeting in Washington, Shoukry reiterated Egypt's key role in battling the "terrorist" group IS, reported Egypt's state news agency MENA.
"Egypt knows the challenges IS poses not only in the region, but in the whole world," he said. "Egypt also appreciates ties with the United States [that have existed for] over four decades."
Several defense ministers from countries participating in military strikes against the group in Syria and Iraq will also be taking a part in the summit along with the foreign ministers of the anti-IS group alliance.
Egypt is a major supporter of the US-led coalition against the IS group.
Kerry urged members of the US-led coalition to increase information-sharing and get more creative in the fight against IS, as the group seeks to boost recruitment by adopting new languages and moving into new areas, Reuters reported.
Kerry said the US-led coalition was making progress in fighting IS , and the number of the group's fighters were estimated to be down by about one-third. A victory in liberating the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State would mark "a critical turning point" in the fight, he said.
But further efforts were needed, Kerry told about 30 defense and foreign ministers in Washington who gathered to discuss the effort. For instance, he said, it was critical to break down structural barriers to allow more sharing of information about threats posed by the group.
