.jpg)
Over the past three decades, Egypt and the U.S. have formed a strong strategic partnership, based on their mutual interests of bringing about lasting peace in the Middle East, promoting economic growth in the region and securing strong military ties between the two countries.
Camp David Accords
In November of 1977, the late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat made a historic visit to Israel and spoke before the Israeli Knesset, outlining a plan for a new peace agreement. U.S. President Jimmy Carter was encouraged by Egypt’s regional leadership, and invited Sadat, along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David, to begin peace negotiations.
Though President Sadat faced harsh criticism from the other Arab countries, he, along with Prime Minister Begin, accepted the invitation and the summit began on September 5, 1978. By September 17, the two parties came up with the “Framework for Peace in the Middle East.” The framework had three parts: a process for Palestinian self-government, an outline for a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, and finally an outline for peace treaties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Egypt and Israel formally signed a peace treaty in March of 1979. Egypt agreed to establish normal diplomatic relations between the two countries, opening the Suez Canal to Israeli ships while Israel agreed to withdraw completely from Sinai. The principles embodied in the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, namely Israel's full withdrawal from occupied territory in exchange for full peace, serve as the model for all subsequent Arab-Israel peace efforts.
Regional Peace and Security
A solid pillar of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the US centers on regional security and stability. In 1990/1991 Egypt provided the largest Arab contingent in Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait. Active Arab support made possible by the participation of the Egyptian Armed Forces paved the way for the formation of the international coalition that repelled the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
After the war, Egypt strongly assisted the Administration of President George H. W. Bush in launching the Madrid Peace Talks, the first multi-lateral peace negotiations that included the main Arab powers, the Palestinians and Israel. Egypt’s active and public commitment to the moral and strategic imperative of peace in the region, made possible the Oslo Accords of 1993 between the Israel and the Palestinians. Every major Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement was concluded in the context of active U.S.-Egyptian collaboration.
On terrorism, Egypt, having faced down challenge of terrorism domestically, was among the first nations in the world to call for a serious and coordinated international response to confront this phenomenon many years before September 11, 2001, brought the threat of terrorism horrifically home to the American people and government. Since that day, Egypt’s leadership, security and intelligence agencies have worked tirelessly with their American allies to protect against and respond to terrorist threats around the world. Egypt’s religious leadership have actively engaged in the war of ideas, and undermined the attempts of violent extremists to give their crimes religious sanction.
Despite Egypt's strong reservation on the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Egypt has worked closely with the United States to help stabilize Iraq by leading efforts for national reconciliation, to return Iraq to the Arab fold, protect its borders, reintegrate Iraq politically and economically into the region, and rebuild Iraq’s military, security services and institutions of state.
Military Cooperation and Interoperability
To further U.S.–Egypt strategic cooperation, the military forces of Egypt and the U.S. conduct biannual joint training exercises in Egypt. “Bright Star,” as these exercises are known, is intended to strengthen the bonds between the countries’ militaries and better maintain regional stability.
Though the first exercise in 1980 involved only ground forces from the two nations, the operation grew over time to include air, ground and naval operations with more than 78,000 troops. With the program’s success, other nations began to join. Now it involves 10 countries: the UK, Greece, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, along with the U.S. and Egypt.
Speaking on military cooperation between the Egypt and the United States, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said “Our own military has benefited from the interaction with the Egyptian armed forces, one of the most professional and capable in the region."
Trade, Investment and Development
Over the last three decades Egypt and the United States have established a strong, mutually beneficial and growing trade and economic relationship. In 2008, bilateral trade stood at $7 billion, 350 percent higher than in 2004. Egypt is now the fourth largest export market for the United States in the Middle East, representing 9 percent of its exports to the region. The United States and Egypt also benefit from a strong investment relationship, with U.S direct private investments rising from around $288 million in 2002/2003 to over $6 billion in 2007/2008. Moreover, in 2008/2009 Egypt was the world’s number one importer of wheat, and also the fourth largest importer of U.S. wheat.
Egypt and the U.S. have set up 20 Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs) — free trade areas where goods manufactured with a designated percentage of Israeli materials can enter the U.S. without tariffs or quota restrictions. One of only two Middle Eastern countries to have set up QIZs with the U.S., Egypt will expand this program to two new areas following an agreement signed with the United States in 2009.
Most recently, the Egypt and the United States signed a Plan for a Strategic Partnership, which aims to promote economic cooperation between the United States and Egypt. The Agreement will enhance economic cooperation, benefiting both sides by supporting sound government policies that create jobs, boost investmentand build sustainable development.
Motivated by its commitment to progress in the developing world, and its appreciation that a strong, developed and prosperous Egypt, whose population represents one out of every 4 Arabs, the United States has been a strong partner to Egypt in its national comprehensive development programs. Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. aid, an important imperative of the strategic relationship born out of the Camp David Accords. This aid is centered on five main initiatives: economic stability, schools, healthcare, democracy and farming education.