Egypt-US discuss promoting defense partnership

CAIRO – 18 May 2017: Chief of the United States National Guard, General Joseph L. Lengyel, discussed means of enhancing U.S. - Egypt defense partnership with high ranking Egyptian officials on Wednesday, during a two-day visit to Cairo, according to a Thursday press release by the U.S. Embassy in Egypt.

Reflecting on the visit, Lengyel said, “The discussions of disaster preparedness and response were especially useful as we were able to learn from the Egyptian experience in handling these challenges.”

He also expressed “his gratitude for the role of the Egyptian Armed Forces in providing security for the Multi-National Forces Observer (MFO) mission in Sinai, in which U.S. Guardsmen have served since 2002,” according to the statement.

Lengyel had held a meeting with Egypt's Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi, where they tackled issues of common interest in light of the challenges witnessed by the Middle East region and counterterrorism efforts, as well as the development of the relations between Egypt and the U.S., according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense.

Sobhi expressed his appreciation for the military partnership and cooperation between the Egyptian and American armed forces, which has extended over decades of joint action to strengthen the pillars of security and peace in the Middle East.

In another meeting with Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Mahmoud Hegazy, the two generals discussed aspects of cooperation between Egypt and the U.S. in terms of “coordination, training and exchange of military expertise in several fields,” the statement read.


Lengyel was elevated to lead the U.S.’s National Guard Bureau on August 3, 2016. He previously served as defense attaché for the U.S. Central Command in Egypt. He was also the principle military official at the American Embassy in Cairo between 2011 and 2012.