Director of the International Military Staff visits Egypt
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From May 19 to 23 2024, the Director of the International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak, payed an official visit to Egypt. Lieutenant General Adamczak was received by the Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Osama Askar, and he met with other high placed military and political leaders. Lieutenant General Adamczak also had the opportunity to visit the League of Arab States, the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and to give a lecture at the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies. Egypt adhered to the Mediterranean Dialogue in 1995 and it has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with NATO since.
The visit started off with a meeting with the Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Osama Askar. Lieutenant General Adamczak highlighted the historical partnership between NATO and Egypt and its importance in the current security environment where a new set of borderless and unpredictable challenges affect all geographies. Both parties manifested interest in strengthening cooperation and increasing mutual understanding in the context of their Individually Tailored Partnership Programme.
“The Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel regions are important to NATO as insecurity in these regions has a direct impact on global security. A new report by independent experts on NATO’s Southern neighbourhood was launched on March 2024. It contained different proposals of closer cooperation with partners”, the Director of the International Military Staff said.
Afterwards, Lieutenant General Adamczak met with the Deputy Assistant Minister for Multilateral Cooperation and International Security, Ambassador H.E. Khaled El Abyad. The Director of the International Military Staff recognised Egypt’s efforts to foster security and international stability in the region, including through the African Union and the League of Arab States.
Lieutenant General Osama Askar and Ambassador H.E. Khaled El Abyad underlined that cooperation with NATO is important for Egypt and praised NATO’s efforts to support the country. Both declared their strong commitment to approve the ITTP shortly and to implement it in practice.
During the second part of his visit, Lieutenant General Adamczak addressed the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies. The Director of the International Military Staff stressed the importance of NATO’s partnerships in a new international context characterised by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the rise of China and global security challenges.
Additionally, Lieutenant General Adamczak met with the Director of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Ambassador Ahmed Abdel Latif. The Centre is part of the NATO Partnership Training and Education Centres and it was the first and only of its kind to be established in Africa.
Later, the Director the International Military Staff met with Mrs. Rania Aurag, Director of the European Affairs Department of the Arab League. The Arab League is a key regional organization to engage in strategic dialogue on common security challenges in the region.
Before returning to Brussels, the Director of the International Military Staff visited the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier, where he paid tribute to the men and women in uniform who put service before self to contribute to the peace and prosperity of their nation.