Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, backed by close friend Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya’s unity president, has inaugurated a major naval base 135 kilometers from the Libyan border.
Egypt claims the station would help it secure strategic and commercial interests while also assisting in the prevention of irregular migration as it expands its naval presence in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Two Mistral helicopter carriers acquired from France were on exhibit for the opening, together with a German-built submarine and two freshly delivered FREMM-class Italian frigates.
Missiles were fired, parachute drops were made, and an amphibious landing was performed by naval forces.
Later, at a private event, Sisi addressed attendees about Ethiopia’s massive hydropower dam, which Egypt perceives as a danger to its water supplies. Following a series of deadlocks, the United Nations Security Council is expected to meet this week to discuss the problem.
Egypt appreciates Ethiopia’s development needs but negotiations should not “continue indefinitely” Sisi said, according to a statement from the presidency.the presidency.
The July 3 base, named after the day in 2013 when Sisi led the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi, spans more than ten square kilometers.
