Today in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone with Egyptian Minister of Defense General Mohamed Zaki about the strong defense relationship between the United States and Egypt.
Secretary Austin thanked Minister Zaki for Egypt’s leadership role in the region and for Egypt’s vital assistance in securing the ceasefire in Israel and Gaza on August 7, 2022. The leaders discussed other shared security objectives and regional challenges across the Middle East and North Africa. Secretary Austin also spoke about U.S. concerns including Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Secretary Austin and Minister Zaki reaffirmed their commitment to U.S.-Egypt military-to-military cooperation as a cornerstone of the strategic partnership.