Egypt’s Ambassador to the United States, Yasser Reda, published a letter to the editor in the The New York Times titled “Don’t Belittle Egypt” in response to a recent op-ed that appeared in the paper last month.

In the letter, which was printed in the 1 January edition, Amb. Reda writes that “Egypt is resolute in its fight against terrorism, militarily as well as through modernizing religious discourse and increasing tolerance.”

Amb. Reda goes on to argue, “A country diligently working to this end should be supported, not alienated. America reaps many benefits from supporting Egypt and advancing our shared priorities.”

For more, please see the full letter below.

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Embassy of Egypt

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Don’t Belittle Egypt
Ambassador Yasser Reda
The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/opinion/us-egypt.html

To the Editor:

Andrew Miller and Richard Sokolsky (“Actually, Egypt Is a Terrible Ally,” Op-Ed, Dec. 19) belittle Egypt’s importance to the United States. Egypt is resolute in its fight against terrorism, militarily as well as through modernizing religious discourse and increasing tolerance.

Egypt is also undertaking a challenging economic reform program that has been applauded by international observers and is strengthening its national institutions in a region plagued by eroding nation-states.

These efforts are aligned with America’s long-term interests in the region. A country diligently working to this end should be supported, not alienated. America reaps many benefits from supporting Egypt and advancing our shared priorities. The assistance that the writers want to reduce has always been, and should remain, a tool to support allies, not one to “extract concessions.”

This is not to say that Egypt’s journey toward a modern nation-state is complete. But the resolve of the Egyptian people and government is unshakable, and I hope we will be able to reflect and say that “the United States was our partner along the way.”

YASSER REDA, WASHINGTON