Washington says to resume military aid to Egypt set at a value of $195 million, a package once frozen on the premise of human rights concerns. An Egyptian diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo has been informed of the decision to resume aid, saying it is now awaiting procedural matters. He pointed out that the agreement is moving in the right direction and without any obstacles, in light of Washingtons recognition of the importance of Egypt’s role in stabilizing the Middle East. In August last year, the US administration froze $195 million in military aid to Egypt because of Egypts failure to make progress with respect to human rights and democracy. The decision sparked angry reactions in Egypt, signaling negative repercussions on relations between the two countries. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and discussed various aspects of Egyptian-American relations, as well as consultations on a number of issues of common concern. In a statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement that Pompeo affirmed full US commitment to strengthen its strategic relations with Egypt and its commitment to Egypts political, economic and developmental support. US aid to Egypt, both economic and military, aims to strengthen Egyptian capabilities in the face of security challenges, and to promote regional stability. The statement did not explicitly mention a resumption of frozen aid, but pointed out that the coming period will see more US support for Egypt, and a trend towards removing any obstacles in this regard. However, an Egyptian diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “it was agreed to resume the $195 million in frozen military aid,” adding that “things are moving in the right direction, pending some procedure.” Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a source said that the change in the US position came in the wake of Egyptian high-level moves towards motivating the US administration to reassess the Egyptian situation, especially with respect to human rights files and counterterrorism efforts, in addition the nation’s strategic depth. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that Pompeo had valued Egyptian efforts to achieve Palestinian reconciliation and deal with regional issues in order to promote stability.