Egypt provides overflight rights, Suez Canal access to support counterterrorism efforts: Congressman Fleischmann

CAIRO – 14 August 2021: Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, representative for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district, said Egypt always provides overflight rights and Suez Canal access to support counterterrorism efforts.

Fleischmann reiterated support of the US partnership with Egypt with the aim of eliminating terrorism and protecting citizens.

“Every day, Egypt provides overflight rights and Suez Canal access to the US and our allies to support counterterrorism efforts,” the congressman said.

“As a member of the Friends of Egypt Caucus, I am proud to support our partnership with Egypt to stop terrorism and protect our citizens at home and abroad,” he added.

A statement by the Egyptian Embassy in Cairo quoted Ambassador Motaz Zahran as saying that Egypt and the US in September will lead 18 allied nations in a joint military exercise across air, land and sea.

The exercise aims to promote security and peace in the Middle East, the embassy’s tweet added.

Egypt in the 1970s with the assistance of the US “planted the seeds of peace … by signing a treaty with Israel,” the ambassador said.

“Since then, Egypt and the US have continued to work together towards peace and stability despite ever-evolving threats,” Zahran added.

Zahran hailed the “tremendous support” exerted to foster the bilateral relations between Egypt and the US from the Biden administration as well as the “overwhelming majority” of Congressional members.

He said Congressional members “stand firm in refusing to be deceived by lies and falsehoods propagated by people who belong to a terrorist organization with a known record in disseminating hatred and inciting to violence through consistent outright lies and delusional tactics, by exploiting the values we all share, stand by and have inherent moral obligations to patronise, propagate for, and promote.”

Egypt and the US signed in April a memorandum of understanding to facilitate reciprocal provision of military logistic support, supplies, and services.