UK’s Defence Senior Advisor in Cairo for joint military training

CAIRO – 4 October 2017: UK’s Defense Senior Advisor for the Middle East, Lt. General Tom Beckett, arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss expanding joint military training, as well as terrorism and regional concerns.

Lt. General Tom Beckett will meet with Major General Mohammed Abdulfattah El Keshki, the assistant minister of defense for external relations, and Major General Nasser Mohamed Ibrahim Assi, chief of the training authority to discuss these topics.

This is the latest in a series of high profile defense engagement visits between the UK and Egypt this year; including visits by the UK Deputy Chief of Defense Staff for Military Strategy and Operations, Lt. General Mark Carleton-Smith, and the UK Chief of Defense Intelligence, Air Marshal Philip Osborn.

Beckett will also discuss counter-terrorism related efforts, including in Sinai. The UK and Egypt play a leading role in the 68-member Global Coalition against Daesh.

The UK provides Counter-IED (counter-terroristic) training, and will also provide a large number of places for Egyptian military individuals at English prestigious military academies.

The UK is supplying vital equipment, such as C-IED equipment.

The UK defense senior advisor will also discuss regional concerns, including Libya, Yemen and Qatar with his Egyptian counterparts.

“The UK and Egypt’s defense partnership is strong and getting stronger. We face the same threat of terrorism in the UK as in Egypt. By working together, especially through joint training to share expertise, we can and will overcome it,” said John Casson, the UK’s ambassador in Egypt.