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Egypt, US Stress Importance of Joint Defense Cooperation

The Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production, Major General Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, and the military attaché at the US embassy in Cairo, General Ralph Groover (Egyptian Government)
The Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production, Major General Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, and the military attaché at the US embassy in Cairo, General Ralph Groover (Egyptian Government)
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Egypt, US Stress Importance of Joint Defense Cooperation

The Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production, Major General Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, and the military attaché at the US embassy in Cairo, General Ralph Groover (Egyptian Government)
The Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production, Major General Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, and the military attaché at the US embassy in Cairo, General Ralph Groover (Egyptian Government)

Egyptian and US officials confirmed ongoing military cooperation between the two countries, stressing that they are “as strong as ever,” according to an Egyptian statement.

The statement came following the meeting between the Egyptian Minister of State for Military Production, Major General Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, and the military attaché at the US embassy in Cairo, General Ralph Groover.

The two discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation and the possibility of exchanging expertise and manufacturing technologies in various industrial fields.

The two officials also addressed the permanent development in various training, manufacturing, and research facilities of the ministry, and means to benefit from the US expertise.

Morsi pointed out the importance of strengthening cooperation between military production companies and US companies in various fields, explaining Egypt's keenness to consolidate and deepen the strategic industrial partnership with the US.

The Minister described it as an important pillar for maintaining security and stability in the Middle East.

Grover affirmed that the US-Egyptian military cooperation is distinguished by its great history and is “as strong as ever.”

The attaché also expressed his aspiration to mutual work to meet the challenges facing not only the two countries but also the countries of the region.

The US provides Egypt with annual aid estimated at $1.55 billion, of which $1.3 billion is allocated for military aid in the form of equipment, tools, maintenance services, and training.

The aid was first sent in 1979 after the ratification of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, which required congressional approval for such aid to Cairo.

Meanwhile, Russian media outlets reported that the first batch of the Su-35 fighter jets are en route to Egypt as part of a 2018 deal, which was not officially confirmed by Cairo or Moscow.

Last November, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs, R. Clark Cooper, announced that Egypt's purchase of Russian aircraft exposes it to the risk of US sanctions, as well as threatens its future purchases of US equipment.

Egyptian parliamentarians described Cooper's statements as “unacceptable interference in the state’s sovereignty.”

The US objected to the Russian deal and the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi of possible sanctions over Cairo’s purchase of Russian warplanes.

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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)
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Three Algerians Charged in Kidnapping of Opposition Figure in France

Amir Boukhors (social media)
Amir Boukhors (social media)

Three men, including an employee at the Algerian consulate in France, were indicted in Paris on suspicion of involvement in the April 2024 kidnapping of Amir Boukhors, an opponent of the Algerian regime, judicial sources told AFP on Saturday.

The three men were charged Friday in Paris with kidnapping and unlawful detention in relation to a terrorist organization, as well as participation in a criminal terrorist conspiracy, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).

Later, a French judge ruled that all three be placed in pre-trial detention.

One of the suspects works for an Algerian consulate in France. While he holds a service passport rather than a diplomatic one, the issue of diplomatic immunity is expected to be addressed during the proceedings, a source close to the case told AFP.

Boukhors, a well-known critic of the Algerian regime, had previously survived two serious attacks — one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29, 2024, according to his lawyer, Eric Plouvier.

The kidnapping, which initially fell under the jurisdiction of the Créteil prosecutor’s office, was later taken over by PNAT in February 2025.

“This shift to an anti-terror investigation shows that a foreign power, Algeria, did not hesitate to carry out violent acts on French soil — acts of intimidation and terror that threaten lives,” Plouvier said, calling the case a “state affair.”

Neither of the suspects’ attorneys responded to AFP requests for comment.

Boukhors’ name also surfaced in a separate probe by the Paris prosecutor’s office.

In that case, a French Economy Ministry employee was indicted in December for allegedly providing confidential information about Algerian dissidents — including Boukhors — to an Algerian national working at the Algerian consulate in Créteil.

According to sources, some of the individuals targeted in that investigation later became victims of violence, death threats, or abduction attempts.

The latest developments between the two countries coincided with the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said last Friday he is “confident” on the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, sentenced to five years in prison in Algeria.

Sansal’s case is under “special attention” by Algerian authorities, Macron commented during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released.

“I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,” Macron said.

He added, “Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.”

Observers believe that the decision to charge the three Algerian men in France would disrupt the fresh efforts to revive bilateral relations between Paris and Algiers, particularly following the March 31 phone call between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who voiced their willingness to repair relations and after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that ties with Algeria were back to normal.