Egypt’s Amb. to Washington calls for further strengthening of partnership between both states

CAIRO – 19 March 2022: Egyptian Ambassador to Washington Moataz Zahran wrote an article in the American weekly news magazine “Newsweek,” where he called for continuing to strengthen the Egyptian-American partnership.

In his article, he referred to the recent agreement by the U.S. Congress on a military aircraft deal to Egypt, saying that Egypt welcomes the approval of the two major American national political parties referring to the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, to the deal.

In his article, he referred to the recent approval by the U.S. congress on the sale of aircrafts and military hardware for Egypt, adding that this sale will allow Egypt and the U.S. to undertake missions in the interests of both countries, working toward achieving stability in the Middle East and North Africa.

He also went on speaking about the challenges of the current era, saying: “In an era of great power competition, instability in Eastern Europe, tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and proliferation concerns in the Middle East, we welcome the bipartisan support of the U.S. Congress as work to replenish our aging military equipment.”

He added that the latest sale debated in Congress specifically concentrated on C-130 military transport airplanes. Egypt already possesses a fleet of those airframes previously obtained from the U.S. “However, like all military hardware, those airplanes have a shelf life and need constant refurbishment and replacement. It is therefore logical to be looking at our partners in the U.S. for that, especially given the central role the C-130 plays in our common interests.”

He further stressed the deep military partnership between Egypt and the United States, adding that it is exemplified by Exercise Bright Star, which witnesses hundreds of U.S. military personnel join their Egyptian counterparts in what is regarded as the most significant biennial military exercise in the Middle East and Mediterranean region.