The United States ambassador to Egypt R. Stephen Beecroft said on Sunday that his country's support of Egypt in its fight against terrorism is “firm, ongoing and eager.” Ambassador Beecroft said during the annual meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (Amcham) said that the country “can serve as a successful model for other countries in the region.” Beecroft said that the US is partnering with Egypt both militarily – pointing to a recent military exercise between the two countries – and culturally, saying that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Scholar Program in Egypt. The ambassador also said that Egypt's success is important given that it is the geographical the heart of the region, is home to one quarter of the Arab world's population and has historically been in a position of leadership. “For a thousand years, Egyptian people persevered in the face of challenges and continue to do so,” Beecroft stated. He also commended Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's vision to solve the current crises in the region, which revolves around the view that fighting militarily buys time but does not address the underlying problems. The meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt commemorated 35 years in the country and paid homage to the Chamber's outgoing president Anis Aclimandos, as well as the outgoing board members who concluded their four-year term. “We appreciate your services, hard work and dedication to the bilateral relationships,” Ambassador Beecroft told the outgoing Amcham president and board members. In April, AmCham announced that food industry veteran Tarek Tawfik won its presidency.
