Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Robert Karem, and Air Marshal Younis al Masri, Chief of the Egyptian Air Force, co-hosted the Military Cooperation Committee (MCC) meeting in Cairo on January 8-9. The MCC is an annual forum aimed at planning and coordinating security cooperation between the United States and Egypt. The recent meeting aimed to strengthen military partnerships and address mutual security challenges such as terrorism.
ASD Karem emphasized the importance of tackling terrorism in his opening remarks. He stated that "the goal of the conference is to strengthen our partnership, and to take our relationship to a new level to address these strategic challenges together." During the visit, Karem also met with Egypt's Minister of Defense Sedki Sobhy to discuss bilateral cooperation.
Major General Ralph Groover, Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché at the U.S. Embassy Cairo, commented on the significance of the meeting. He said it was "a clear demonstration of the enduring U.S. – Egyptian relationship" and expressed anticipation for further enhancing military partnerships with Egypt.
The U.S. delegation included representatives from various branches of armed services, including the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Joint Staff, U.S. Central Command, and Department of State. Discussions during the conference focused on optimizing U.S. military assistance through resources, training, and international exercises to counter security threats effectively. The delegations also discussed future plans for joint military exercises like Bright Star.