[news] Egypt .. The first official comment on the US missile deal

[#Hassan.]

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2. After the US administration finally agreed to finalize an advanced tactical missile deal to Cairo, from the Ram Block 2 model, Egypt is on a date with a new batch of armament development for its armed forces' capabilities, which was considered by MPs in the Defense and National Security Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives as a continuation of closer military cooperation Between Cairo and Washington, in order to enhance the capabilities of the Egyptian Navy to secure Egypt's borders and protect its economic capabilities. "
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4. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the US Department of Defense announced that the US State Department approved the potential deal at an estimated cost of $ 197 million.
5. In the first comment of the Defense and National Security Committee in the Egyptian House of Representatives, the head of the committee, Major General Kamal Amer, told Sky News Arabia from Cairo that the indications of the US administration’s approval to conclude an advanced missile deal to Egypt are the desire to strengthen relations and military cooperation between the two countries.
6. In response to a question whether this represents a joint Egyptian-American message in the eastern Mediterranean to confront the tensions in that region, he said that Egypt "freely chooses its weapons and is completely stripped of what suits its airspace and its own theater of maritime operations."
7. The head of the Defense and National Security Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives stressed during his statements that the US administration realizes that "Egypt is not an aggressor against anyone, but rather aims to defend itself and its national security."
8. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the US Department of Defense announced that this deal would "support the fast missile ships of the Egyptian Navy, as well as provide greatly improved defense capabilities over the Egyptian coastal areas and the entrances to the Suez Canal," according to a statement issued by the committee.
9. In turn, a member of the Defense Committee of the Egyptian Parliament, Major General Yahya Kadwani, told Sky News Arabia that “Egypt is working to modernize the armed forces, raise combat efficiency and diversify weapons sources,” referring to a strategic methodology followed by Egypt to diversify weapons sources To achieve integration of all major weapons of the armed forces, even self-sufficiency in local manufacturing of many military equipment.
10. He continued: "Our armed forces are the bulwark of safety for our Egyptian, Arab and regional national security," noting that this means restoring the international and regional weight to Egypt by possessing these combat capabilities, and this supports the Egyptian navy forces, securing our borders and protecting our economic capabilities.
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12. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its recent statement that "the deal supports the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping improve the security of a major non-NATO ally, which remains an important strategic partner in the Middle East."
13. For his part, Deputy Defense Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives, Representative Ahmed Al-Awadi, told Sky News Arabia that “Egypt's relations with the United States are strategic, regardless of the change of leadership or the US presidency, as relations remain extended in all fields, and they are old since For a long time, it may be tainted by some flaws at times, but it will return to its natural course as strategic relations for both parties. "
14. Regarding the impact of the advanced missile deal , the Egyptian parliamentarian pointed out that “Egypt in recent years has clearly built its strategy (at the level of armament), and the armed forces, especially the navy, have witnessed a remarkable development in the recent period, regardless of developments in the eastern Mediterranean only. Given that Egypt has extended coasts, and it is concerned that its naval fleet is a strong fleet capable of protecting the state’s borders, in addition to protecting the territorial and economic waters of the Egyptian state