U.S. Navy ships USS Carney and USNS Carson City have arrived at the Port of Alexandria, marking the first visit by a U.S. Navy ship to this port since 2009. The USS Carney's Commanding Officer, Commander Peter Halvorsen, along with the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission Dorothy Shea, hosted Egyptian guests on board for a brief tour.
Deputy Chief of Mission Shea stated that "while the visit of Carney and Carson City to this beautiful Egyptian port is noteworthy in itself, the port visit is a reflection of something much more significant: the importance of the strategic partnership between our countries, between our militaries and between our navies."
In September 2017, over 200 U.S. service members from U.S. Central Command participated with members of the Egyptian Armed Forces in the bilateral exercise Bright Star. Earlier this month, Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Karem visited Cairo to cohost the annual bilateral Military Cooperation Committee (MCC) meeting. The arrival of these two ships highlights the strategic ties between Egypt and the United States and showcases their high level of military cooperation.