[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 14, 2022)]
[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

                                 ______
                                 

                     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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