VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #0221 0521539
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 211539Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0344
INFO RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO
RULSJGA/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000221 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/21 
TAGS: ELTN EAIR EWWT ETTC EG
SUBJECT: New Transport Minister Supports Greater Cooperation with 
U.S. Counterpart 
 
REF: CAIRO 33 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Donald A. Blome, Minister-Counselor, State, Economic 
and Political Affairs; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Ambassador made a courtesy call February 1 on newly 
appointed Egyptian Minster of Transport Alaa El Din Fahmy. 
Appointed January 3, 2010, Transport Minister Fahmy is responsible 
for all safety, operations, and infrastructure issues relating to 
civil aviation, marine transport, ports, river and canal transport, 
railroads, and roads and highways.  Fahmy told Ambassador that 
safety and human resource development are his priorities.  Fahmy 
succeeded ex-Minster Mohamed Mansour, who had resigned in October 
as Transport Minister following a train accident which killed 18 
and prompted wide public criticism of the long-term safety record 
of Egypt's railroads. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ambassador raised U.S. support for the draft Memorandum of 
Cooperation (MOC) between the Transport Ministry and U.S. 
Department of Transportation, which would facilitate technical 
assistance and information exchange or best practices.  Ambassador 
noted the draft MOC had been the subject of discussion during the 
March 2009 call by former Transport Minister Mohamed Mansour on 
Secretary of Transportation LaHood.  She said the draft MOC 
embodied an initiative on which she hoped MOT and USDOT would be 
able to go forward at a mutually appropriate time.  Minister Fahmy 
agreed, and asked his staffer, Ms. Nevine El Deeb, to follow up 
with Embassy Econoff on the details and status of the MOC. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C )  Bio information: Alaa El Din Fahmy was the head of the 
Egyptian National Postal Authority (ENPA) prior to his current 
appointment. He also organized, and headed the National 
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA).  Fahmy is seen as a 
member of Prime Minister Nazif's trusted circle; prior to their 
entering government service in 2005, Fahmy was a private sector 
(IT)  associate of Nazif and of Telecommunications Minister Kamel. 
Fahmy attended Military Technical College, a major feeder 
institution for the armed services, where he told Ambassador he had 
been a student during the 1973 war, and served for some time as an 
Air Force officer.  He told the Ambassador he still feels a strong 
loyalty to the Air Force.  Some post contacts have suggested Fahmy 
lacks vision and decisiveness. Though he speaks somewhat haltingly 
and may not understand idiomatic English, Fahmy has a generally 
good command of the language. 
SCOBEY