The Egyptian and US naval forces carried out a joint naval drill in the Southern Fleet Red Sea operations zone, Egypt’s military spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez said in a statement on Tuesday.

Egyptian frigate Taba and the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) took part in the drill, according to the spokesman.

This comes after the US cruiser successfully finished its visit to the Berenice Military Base, located on the Red Sea coast near the country's southern frontier.

The USS Monterey’s visit is considered the first of its kind by a US warship to the largest military base in the Red Sea, Berenice.

The drill comes as part of the Armed Forces’ plan to hold joint drills with friendly countries, the spokesman said.

A number of experts from both the Egyptian and US sides attended a press conference at the Berenice base before the exercise, the spokesman said.

The conference was followed by a group of professional combat activities, especially in the field of enhancing maritime security procedures, Abdel-Hafez said.

These procedures aim at securing the maritime transportation lines and global trade and confronting non-stereotypical threats, the spokesperson added.

“The Egyptian-American relations have recently witnessed a remarkable development,” the spokesperson said.

He added that the recent joint exercises conducted between the two countries reflect the “convergence of [their] visions and goals to maintain maritime security and stability in the region.”