Senior British defence official John Lorimer said Egypt's safety is key for Britain's security during his visit to Cairo on Wednesday, the British embassy said in a statement.

The remarks by Lorimer, the Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa, were made during talks with Egyptian counterparts including Commander of Egyptian Naval Forces Vice Admiral Ahmed Khaled, head of the Armed Forces Armament Authority Major General Tarek Saad Zaghloul, and director of Military Intelligence and Reconnaissance Major General Mohamed Farag El-Shahat.

The officials discussed "shared challenges and threats" faced by the two countries as well as "the UK’s commitment to security in the region," the statement said.

“Egypt is a country of vital strategic importance in the region and keeping Egypt safe means keeping Britain safe," Lorimer said.

"We know how important it is that we stand together in the face of shared threats to our security, and my visit this week is an important opportunity to explore further defence collaboration,” he added.

The visit came less than a week after the navies of both countries carried out a multi-day joint military exercise in the Mediterranean off Egypt's northern coast

"We open a new chapter in our defence cooperation, and a new chapter in improving the security and stability of Egypt, the UK and the Middle East region," British Ambassador to Cairo John Casson was quoted as saying in the statement.

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