US very much behind Egypt, Trump tells Sisi

US President Donald Trump on Monday welcomed Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the White House, the first such visit from an Egyptian president in almost a decade.

"I just want to let everybody know that we are very much behind President al-Sisi, he has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation," Trump said as the pair met in the Oval Office.

Sisi noted that he's had a deep appreciation for Trump's "unique personality" and vowed to work with the U.S. to eradicate the "evil ideology" that is "terrorizing communities."

Trump has repeatedly mentioned Egypt as a critical Muslim-majority ally in the fight against extremists like Daesh.

The White House welcome comes after a tense relationship between Egypt's leader and the previous administration.

Former President Barack Obama never invited Sisi to the White House and allowed his administration to repeatedly admonish his government over its human rights record. Obama also briefly suspended some U.S. military aid.