Egypt’s president lavished praise on President Donald Trump via social media, calling him a “man with unique power to confront crises.”
Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi’s comments were the latest public example of the two leaders’ closeness.
Sissi thanked Trump for his “generous concern” for helping revive Egypt’s deadlocked dispute with Ethiopia.
The two countries are at odds over Ethiopia’s construction of a massive upstream Nile dam, which Egypt claims threatens its water supply.
The U.S. is to host talks on Wednesday between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to discuss the dam, Cairo announced last week.
General-turned-president Sissi came to power after a military coup he led in 2013, toppling Egypt's first freely elected civilian president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Since then, Sissi has carried out a widespread crackdown on dissent, silencing critics and jailing thousands.
Trump has avoided censuring Sissi for his repression, instead admiring his efforts to combat terrorism.
Trump has drawn criticism for his relationships with autocratic leaders such as North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The most recent round of talks between the three Nile nations collapsed last month.
Pro-government media in Egypt have cast the dam as a national security threat that could warrant military action.
The White House said in October that it supports talks to reach a sustainable agreement while “respecting each other’s Nile water equities.”
