What Closer Egypt-NATO Ties Could Mean

Asharq Al-Awsat

19-04-2025

The Turkish and Italian embassies in Cairo have launched a joint initiative aimed at boosting ties between Egypt and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in what experts see as a continuation of Egypt's long-standing policy of cooperating with the alliance without seeking membership.
During an event hosted by the Turkish Embassy on Thursday evening, Ankara — acting as NATO's contact point in Egypt — gave a presentation on the alliance's structure and its partnership with Cairo.
The Turkish Embassy said in an official statement that both Turkish and Italian missions in Egypt have been tasked with supporting NATO's partnership with Cairo throughout 2025 and 2026.
Türkiye's ambassador to Egypt said his country will play a key role in facilitating cooperation and communication between Cairo and the NATO, as part of an initiative to boost the partnership between the alliance and Egypt.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Cairo on Thursday, Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen reviewed NATO's past and present activities, as well as Türkiye's role as a member of the alliance.
He stopped short of detailing specific areas of upcoming cooperation between Egypt and NATO, describing the relationship as 'a partnership within the framework of official relations.'
'Our role is to facilitate the relationship, as the Turkish Embassy serves as NATO's contact point in Cairo,' Şen told Asharq Al-Awsat.
'In general, we view positively any effort to strengthen ties between Egypt and NATO through the partnership program,' he added.
In January, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss escalating threats in the Middle East, including the conflict in Gaza, tensions in the Red Sea, developments in Syria, and instability across the Sahel region.
According to an official readout at the time, Abdelatty welcomed NATO's efforts to launch a Southern Neighborhood Action Plan, which was adopted at the alliance's summit in Washington in July 2024.
He also stressed the importance of strengthening NATO's ties with regional partners to address growing security challenges and said Egypt was keen to expand cooperation in areas such as capacity building, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity.
The Washington summit saw NATO leaders approve a roadmap to step up engagement with its southern neighbors and announced plans to bolster the alliance's presence in the Middle East and Africa.
Following the summit, Javier Colomina was appointed as the NATO Secretary-General's Special Representative for the Southern Neighborhood. He visited Egypt on September 19, 2024.
Former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Rakha Ahmed Hassan said Egypt's cooperation with NATO dates back to the 1990s, with a focus on maritime rescue operations, arms and drug trafficking surveillance, and counterterrorism training.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hassan said Egypt's engagement with NATO operates on two levels: direct collaboration with the alliance and bilateral cooperation with individual member states.
'The partnership is limited to training and specific areas of cooperation, without involving military engagement,' he said, noting that Egypt has long followed a policy of working with international alliances without formally joining them.