"If Egypt's history is built on the Giza Pyramids and preserved in its museums, then Egypt's future lies in its schools," Rafik Mansour, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs said Saturday during his visit to Cairo.

The United States is cooperating with the Egyptian government to build more than 2,000 primary schools and train 150,000 teachers, he noted.

Mansour emphasized that educational efforts and school construction have benefited more than five million Egyptian children by providing them with the skills needed for the 21st century.

He added that these partnerships help in exchanging knowledge and strengthening ties between Egypt and the United States for the benefit of future generations.

“Our ties are primarily centered around economic development, cultural preservation, education, and security, based on depth, strength, and shared goals,” according to Mansour.

The US official said the two countries cooperate in preserving Egypt's rich history through a new agreement to ensure that Cairo’s most important museums have the best systems to track ancient artifacts so that their staff can know exactly where Egypt's treasures are, whether inside the country or displayed in other global museums.

Since the signing of a bilateral agreement in 2016, the United States has returned over 5,000 smuggled artifacts to Egypt, he added.

The US has always been a loyal friend, helping to protect Egypt’s treasures, as is the case with the Sultan Qaytbay Mausoleum, Mansour said.

He added that over the past 30 years, the US government has invested $150 million in preserving Egypt's cultural heritage.