Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told President Trump he had a personality that was "capable of doing the impossible" during remarks Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"Mr. President, let me express our appreciation and respect," a translator said for Sisi. "Let me say that you have a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible."
The comment drew a smile and laugh from Trump, who said, "I agree."
CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond compared the moment between the two presidents to a "buddy comedy routine."
Trump is the midst of his first foreign trip as president, and he will deliver a speech Sunday in Riyadh that's meant to rally Muslim leaders around defeating terrorism.
The two praised each other when they met at the White House in April as well, with Trump saying "he's done a fantastic job," The Hill reports :
"He’s done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation," Trump said at the time, referring to Sisi, who led a coup three years ago to depose Egypt's first freely elected president and faces criticism over alleged human rights abuses.
Trump on Sunday added that the American people "appreciated" the release last month of Aya Hijazi, an Egyptian-American aid worker who spent three years in a Cairo prison.
Reuters reported Trump said he hoped to visit Egypt soon and said "safety seems to be very strong" there under Sisi's leadership. Sisi led the toppling of Mohamed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.