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US defence secretary to visit Egypt on Middle East trip US defence secretary Chuck Hagel is set to visit five Middle East countries on a 7-day trip next week
Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel is set to visit Egypt next week as part of a 7-day trip to the Middle East. "In Cairo, Egypt, the secretary will meet with senior Egyptian military and civilian officials to discuss the US-Egypt defence partnership and Egypt's democratic transition," Pentagon said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The secretary will travel to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, respectively, from April 20 to April 27. Hagel will travel first to Israel, where he will meet with Minister of Defence Moshe Yaalon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres to further the close military-to-military relationship between the United States and Israel, said the statement. The secretary's trip follows on President Barack Obama's visit to Israel, during which he announced that the United States and Israel will negotiate a new 10-year agreement to provide Israel with foreign military financing.He will also address "regional challenges, including those presented by Iran and Syria," added the statement. Next, Hagel will head to Jordan to receive briefings on international efforts to address the crisis in Syria, and discuss US and Jordanian cooperation to prepare for "a number of contingencies" Hagel will then travel to theSaudi Arabian capitalRiyadh where he will discuss with Saudi leaders regional defence matters. He will wrap up his trip in the United Arab Emirates, where he will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to continue defence consultations. Hagel was sworn in as US defence secretary in February 2013.