Egyptian naval forces held a joint military drill with NATO's navy while on a multiple day visit to Egypt, the army said in a statement. The joint drill with NATO's SNMG 2 navy is part of military cooperation between the two naval forces, the military added in the statement on Monday. The aim of the exercises is to 'exchange training expertise, hone the skills of participating forces in performing the most advanced naval fighting techniques and to coordinate efforts to combat challenges in the Mediterranean region," the statement added. Egypt's naval commander Osama Rabei held talks with NATO deputy commander Bruno Palmer where they discussed military cooperation on issues of mutual interest – specifically on the naval level -- and on the new channels of joint exercises as well as the exchange of visits of forces and naval units between both sides. NATO is a military alliance of 28 countries from North America and Europe that was established in 1949 during the early days of the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union's influence in Europe.
