Philadelphi Route (Archives)
Photo: Aviram Zino
Egypt signs treaty with NATO
Egypt will cooperate with NATO on border control issues, war on terror. Other countries in region expected to sign similar treaties soon
BRUSSELS - Egypt has signed a treaty with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), thus becoming the second Middle Eastern country, after Israel, to sign such a pact.
A senior NATO official told Ynet that other countries in the region were expected to sign similar treaties soon.
The treaty will allow Egypt to discuss the possibility of NATO securing the border it shares with the Gaza Strip along the Philadelphi Route.
The treaty was signed Tuesday afternoon at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, after a prolonged negotiation between representatives of both sides. NATO sources welcomed the treaty, the details of which are expected to be released shortly.
According to NATO sources, the treaty entitles Egypt the right to cooperate with the organization on issues of border control, the war on terror, the exchange of intelligence, and the stabilizing of sensitive areas.
Sources pointed out that no individual agreement had been reached regarding the breached Egypt-Gaza border, but added that NATO may aid in closing the border down the road.
