Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday opened a strategic naval base on the Mediterranean Sea to "secure shipping lines", the presidency said.

"It is the latest Egyptian military base on the Mediterranean, and will be focused on securing the country's northern and western front," the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The ceremony was attended by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and by the chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi.

The base lies some 255 kilometres (160 miles) west of Alexandria, towards the border with Libya, a country where both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have played a key military role.

Libya's new transitional executive emerged from a UN process that was launched in November in Tunis, then voted on in Geneva and confirmed by Libya's parliament on March 10.

Egypt and the UAE had long been considered as key backers of Khalifa Hafta, the eastern based Libyan military strongman who had tried to seize the capital Tripoli from the previous government.

In April, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli travelled to Libya, where he had talks with interim prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, in a new sign of warming ties between Cairo and Tripoli.

Dbeibah visited Egypt in February on his first official trip abroad after his election.

In April, Dbeibah also paid a visit to Abu Dhabi, where he was warmly greeted by Sheikh Mohammed, who expressed support for the new Libyan administration.

Sisi and his guests witnessed military manoeuvres involving several vessels, attack helicopters and fighter jets.

State-run newspaper Akhbar Al-Youm reported that the new Egyptian base includes an airstrip and a 1,000-metre (3,280-foot) long pier.

The base was named "July 3" after the day eight years ago when Sisi led the military ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt has three other naval bases in the Mediterranean and one in the Red Sea.

Related Links
Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

U.S., Russia conduct separate naval exercises near Hawaii
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 28, 2021
A drill by the U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard near Hawaii, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, coincided with a nearby Russian navy exercise. The Vinson Carrier Strike Group, which includes the guided missile destroyers USS O'Kane, USS Howard., USS Chafee, USS Dewey and USS Michael Murphy, were joined by the submarine USS Seawolf and Coast Guard cutters USCGC Midgett and USCGC Oliver Berry. The aircraft and personnel of Carrier Strike Group 1, alongside the naval vessels, an ... read more