[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

RECOGNITION OF THE EGYPT-U.S. PARTNERSHIP

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HON. C. A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

of maryland

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the
fruitful United States-Egypt partnership. The year 2022 marks 100 years
of diplomatic relations between our two nations. As co-chair of the
U.S. House of Representatives' Friends of Egypt Caucus, I believe it is
of paramount importance that we commemorate this partnership rooted in
shared commitments to peace, stability and prosperity. As such, I
include in the Record this Newsweek article, entitled ``Let's Continue
to Strengthen the Egypt-U.S. Partnership'' published on April 18, 2022,
and penned by Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, Mr. Motaz
Zahran. In this piece, Ambassador Zahran details how cooperation
between the U.S. and Egypt has bolstered multilateral support for
Ukraine, strengthened counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East and
enabled COVID-19 care to reach vulnerable populations.

As President Joe Biden and leaders on Capitol Hill manage
the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine, the Egypt-U.S. national
security partnership recently came into the national
spotlight. In the U.S. Congress, an overwhelming majority of
U.S. decision makers once again recognized the importance of
strategic allies such as Egypt and approved the sale of
aircrafts and military hardware that 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.
This 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.
Egyptian C-130s carried 35,000 Egyptian troops to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops liberating Kuwait
during the 1990s. In 2003, the same fleet carried an Egyptian
field hospital to Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, providing
medical services to both the alliance personnel as well as
Afghan people. The fleet of C-130 have carried Egyptian
peacekeepers deployed to some of the most dangerous hotspots
in the world at a great danger to themselves, and
unfortunately with several causalities including most
recently in Mali a few short weeks ago. The C-130s have also
allowed us to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance
to disaster zones in Sudan, Somalia and deliver masks and
personal protection gears to the U.S. medical community
during the worse days of the outbreak of COVID-19. We hope to
do more as we replenish our fleet. But those aircrafts are
not the only fruits of cooperation between our two
militaries.
The Egyptian military is also actively involved in
supporting the safe passage of U.S. naval vessels through the
Suez Canal. One of our core responsibilities is to safeguard
navigation in the Suez Canal--through which 12 percent of
global trade flows. Our commitment to providing maritime
security extends to the Mediterranean and Red Seas, where we
actively work with partners to safeguard the flow of
commerce.
The depth of the Egypt-U.S. military partnership 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. Egypt,
the U.S. and our allies are ready to respond swiftly to
crises in the region together because of these exercises.
Egypt has committed itself to being a secure and stable
country despite the turmoil in nearby states. The Egyptian
military has been successful in fighting terrorist offshoots
of ISIS and acts as a deterrent force against would-be
aggressors. Civil conflict has plagued Yemen, Syria and Libya
while Egypt remains a stable and prosperous country.
Moreover, our stability and security has enabled us to play a
leading role in pushing for elections in Libya and calling
for the expulsion of foreign mercenaries who only cause chaos
and suffering.
The Egyptian government has taken substantial strides to
advance and promote human rights. In the past few months,
Egypt launched its first ever National Strategy for Human
Rights, a blueprint that puts forward a comprehensive
approach to advance human rights. Laws advancing women's
rights and providing opportunities for their equal
participation in civic society have been introduced--we are
moving forward and setting an example for the region. The
State of Emergency, which was necessary to quell terrorism in
the country, has been suspended. This is in large part due to
the successful cooperation between Egypt and the U.S. in
disrupting terrorist networks on our borders. New laws that
facilitate the work of local and foreign NGOs operating in
Egypt, as well as moves to promote religious freedom, will
build a pluralistic civil society that is secure and stable
for all Egyptians. Egypt's rock-solid commitment to its
people resonates and reverberates at each crossroad.
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.

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