Panetta calls Cairo to reaffirm 'strategic partnership'

Egyptian defense minister reassures US defense chief that Egypt remains committed to ties with Washington, security of American diplomatic personnel and property

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two days after President Barack Obama called Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to express dissatisfaction with reaction to the embassy attack in Cairo, the US defense chief has called his Egyptian counterpart to reaffirm the defense relationship as a cornerstone of the US-Egypt “strategic partnership.”

Pentagon press secretary George Little says Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also underscored the importance of ensuring the security of the US diplomatic mission in Egypt.

Little says Egyptian Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reassured Panetta that Egypt remains committed to the defense relationship, one of the most important for the US in the Middle East. Little says the Egyptian defense minister also reiterated his country’s commitment to the security of American diplomatic personnel and property.

The US does not have a defense treaty with Egypt.