CAIRO, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The chairman of the military committee of NATO wrapped up his visit to Egypt and Jordan to discuss bilateral cooperation for regional security.
Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola met with military leaders in Egypt and Jordan to discuss the Mediterranean Dialogue program.
That program was started in 1994 to facilitate communication between the alliance and its Mediterranean partners and dispel any false impressions about NATO activity, NATO said.
Di Paula met with Egyptian armed forces Chief of Staff Gen. Sami Annan and other top officials to discuss further cooperation between NATO and Cairo.
In Amman, the admiral met with Gen. Khalid al-Sarayreh, the Jordanian military chief of staff, and visited a special operations center. Di Paola also delivered a speech at the Jordanian Defense College to discuss the strategic concepts of the alliance.
His visit comes as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit in Cairo to discuss regional issues.
"The United States sees Egypt as an essential partner, not only in the Middle East, but on global and regional issues, as well," said Clinton. "And we are committed to working with Egypt to strengthen and deepen our cooperation and our partnership on these vital matters."
