Egypt is trying to persuade the Biden government to keep American troops in the international peacekeeping force on the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Israel. The United States is focusing its priorities and resources on East Asia at the expense of the Middle East in order to meet the growing challenges on the part of China.

Previous governments have already tried to cut US military spending in the Middle East, including in Sinai, but the withdrawal from Afghanistan proves that the Biden administration is reshaping foreign policy more vigorously.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said his country and Israel "find great value" in maintaining the multinational force as it is. He added that the presence of the multinational force has a symbolic and legal value, as well as an essential element in the peace agreement signed between his country and Israel.

Shukri's remarks came in response to a question during a discussion organized by the Wilson Center last month, on the sidelines of a strategic dialogue between Egypt and the United States.