General Joseph L. Votel, Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), is in Cairo for discussions with Egyptian senior leaders focused on regional security. During his visit, General Votel will meet with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Minister of Defense Sedky Sobhy, and other officials to discuss enhancing the U.S.-Egypt partnership in counter-terrorism efforts and promoting stability across the Middle East. His previous visit to Egypt was in August 2016.
"Egypt is one of our most important partners in the region," General Votel stated. "At CENTCOM our vision is to help promote a more stable and prosperous region with increasingly effective governance, improved security, and trans-regional cooperation. Our mission is to direct and enable military engagement with allies and partners to increase regional security and stability."
The CENTCOM area of responsibility includes 20 nations located at the crossroads of three continents, encompassing critical commercial sea lanes, flight corridors, pipelines, and overland routes.