U.S.- Egypt relations must continue to be strengthened now and always, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Sameh Shoukry said Wednesday evening in Boston.
About 100 people attended a dinner at the Omni Parker House Hotel organized by the nonprofit group WorldBoston, where Shoukry analyzed the relationship between the two countries and developments in the Middle East.
The ambassador said he hopes that relations between the U.S. and Egypt will continue to improve.
“Continuing attempts to stabilize the region have made our relationship much better, created a mutual respect and through these endeavors we will continue to increase areas of understanding,” he said.
The welcome dinner marked the start of Shoukry’s three-day visit to Boston.
Shoukry began his talk with an overview of Egypt’s regional setting and of the U.S. and Egypt’s shared interests and objectives in the Middle East.
Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the ambassador spoke of a “desire to create a viable Palestinian state,” and said he was hopeful for many of Egypt and the U.S.’s initiatives to decrease violence in the area.
Attendee Jim Kaufman asked the ambassador about the paradigm shift that peacekeeping forces are now encountering in the form of Islamic extremists as their primary form of resistance.
“It is being greeted by great disappointment,” Shoukry said. “The use of radical religious beliefs to drive the man on the street to believe everything Western is evil is rampant.”
Shoukry also spoke about situations within both Iraq and Afghanistan.
For Iraq, Shoukry proposed “integration into fellow Arab nations, the institution of an inclusive government, and desegregation.” Over in Afghanistan, Shoukry said the focus should be on alleviating the dire political and economic situations.
Shoukry also identified Iran’s nuclear capabilities as a challenge to both the U.S. and Egypt.
“Trying to reject their current nuclear ventures while all nations reserve the right to acquire nuclear technology for peacekeeping reasons is difficult,” he said.
With the help of an American partnership, Shoukry said he also has high hopes for Egypt as a nation on the rise, despite traditional difficulty in competing in the global economy.
He said he is optimistic Egypt could “elevate [their] socioeconomic situation by investing in education and technology,” and added that he hopes to not only help his own nation, but the entire Middle East by having greater contact with the U.S.
Attendee John Hugh said securing positive relations with Egypt is vital to the U.S. as well.
“The importance of us having an ally like Egypt over there [in the Middle East] is crucial,” Hugh said.
“It is important for us to get to know them better because it is definitely going to help out in the future and hopefully make that part of the world much safer.”
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