Egypt and the US signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the exchange of logistic support, supplies and services between Egyptian and US military forces, the US embassy in Cairo said. The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Memorandum of Understanding (ACSMOU) was signed by U.S. Central Command Director of Logistics and Engineering Major General Jeffrey Drushal and Egyptian Assistant Minister of Defense for International Affairs Major General Mohamed Salah at a ceremony at the Ministry of Defense. The MoU does not obligate either side to provide support, it does create a standing mechanism to ensure that the US and Egyptian military forces can effectively offer reimbursable support to each other when required," the US embassy said in a statement. Future joint exercises, exchanges, and training events can use the MoU to simplify cross-servicing and logistical requirements rather than signing short-term or activity-specific agreements, it added. The deal will facilitate logistics and US force participation during Bright Star 2021, a multilateral exercise aiming to promote readiness to respond to regional threats, while building a mutual framework of countering terrorism and maintaining regional peace and security, according to the statement. US Ambassador to Egypt Jonathan R. Cohen said the US military relationship with Egypt has been a foundation of the US-Egypt strategic partnership for more than 40 years. "US equipment supports the Egyptian Air Force, Land Forces, Navy, and Border Guard in countering threats to Egypt's security," he said. "Defense cooperation with Egypt is a cornerstone of our strategic partnership, spanning counter terrorism, border security, and joint training and planning to address complex geopolitical challenges," he added.
