Office of the Spokesperson
A HISTORICALLY STRONG AND GROWING PARTNERSHIP
As the United States and Egypt mark more than a century of diplomatic cooperation and friendship, the United States stands with Egypt and the Egyptian people to promote regional security, bolster economic resilience, advance people-to-people ties, tackle the climate crisis, strengthen a critical defense partnership, and support Egyptians in their pursuit of a prosperous future which protects fundamental freedoms for all.
PROMOTING REGIONAL SECURITY
The United States and Egypt are cooperating closely to de-escalate conflicts and promote sustainable peace, including by supporting UN mediation to enable elections in Libya as soon as possible and restoring a civilian-led transition in Sudan through the Framework Political Agreement. The United States and Egypt share an unwavering commitment to a negotiated two-state solution as the only path to a lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and equal measures of security, prosperity, and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. Building on Egypt’s transformational peace with Israel, the United States and Egypt are partnering to foster further regional cooperation, including through the Negev Forum process. The United States is engaged with Egypt, as well as Sudan and Ethiopia, to advance a swift diplomatic resolution on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that safeguards the interests of the three parties.
BOLSTERING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
The United States and Egypt have a shared commitment to strengthening bilateral economic cooperation for the mutual benefit of the American and Egyptian people, including through expanding trade, increasing private sector investments, and collaborating on clean energy and climate technology. The United States has invested $600 million to digitize Egypt’s telecommunications sector, and Egypt has imported $5.9 billion from the United States to construct, expand, and modernize Egyptian infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population. As Egypt continues to confront the global repercussions of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and resulting food insecurity, the United States commends Egypt for concluding agreement with the International Monetary Fund on December 16, 2022 that is crucial to stabilizing its economy and enabling vital reforms. The United States and Egypt have committed to establishing a Joint Economic Commission that will further enhance cooperation on all economic and commercial issues.
ADVANCING PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES
More than 20,000 Egyptians have participated in U.S. government exchange programs, and 450 Egyptians travel to the United States annually on professional and academic exchange programs facilitated by U.S. Embassy Cairo. The mission’s English language programming reaches thousands of students and teachers across Egypt, including at Al-Azhar University and affiliated institutions. As committed partners in preserving, restoring, and protecting Egypt’s cultural heritage, the United States and Egypt in November 2021 renewed a Memorandum of Understanding that strengthens protections for Egypt’s cultural patrimony and enables bilateral cooperation to disrupt the trafficking of archeological artifacts and cultural objects.
TACKLING THE CLIMATE CRISIS
The United States welcomes Egypt’s ongoing leadership through the COP27 presidency to accelerate global ambition and action to tackle the climate crisis. The United States and Egypt support the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) and the new GMP Energy Pathway, which Egypt has joined with respect to the oil and gas sector. The United States and Egypt co-lead the new partnership on Adaptation in Africa, which is focused on concrete initiatives to help build resilience in a changing climate. The United States is providing $10 million to support the launch of the Cairo Center for Learning and Excellence on Adaptation and Resilience, which will build adaptation capacity across Africa. At COP27, the United States together with Germany announced more than $250 million to accelerate Egypt’s energy transition through the deployment of 10 gigs watts of new wind and solar energy projects and the decommissioning of five gig awards of inefficient natural gas generation.
STRENGTHENING A CRITICAL DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP
Egypt is a valued U.S. partner in counterterrorism, anti-trafficking, and regional security operations, which advance both U.S. and Egyptian security. The decades-long defense partnership is a pillar for regional stability. Since 1978, the United States has contributed more than $50 billion in military assistance, which has contributed to Egypt’s capabilities to protect and defend its land and maritime borders and to confront an evolving terrorist threat, including in the Sinai Peninsula.
REALIZING A DEMOCRATIC AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR ALL
The United States and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1922 in a letter from President Warren G. Harding to King Ahmed Fuad, and over the last century, this deep partnership has proven flexible to changing circumstances as Egypt seeks to build a stable and prosperous future that advances the basic rights and fundamental freedoms of all citizens. The United States firmly believes critical partnerships like the U.S.-Egypt relationship are stronger when there is a shared commitment to human rights.
We maintain an active dialogue that seeks to reinforce tangible steps to promote freedom of expression, end political detention and strengthen the rule of law, and undertake critical judicial reforms, including with respect to pre-trial detention reforms, in line with Egypt’s National Strategy on Human Rights.
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