CAIRO: A top US official has praised efforts by Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority to improve navigation in the waterway and ensure the safe passage of ships.

Mira Resnick, US deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, was speaking during her first official visit to the canal.

Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, received her at the Guidance Building in Ismailia.

The visit included an inspection of improvement works on a section of the canal.

Rabie said that Resnick’s visit reflects the long-standing cooperation between Egypt and the US concerning the waterway, which has a key role in serving global trade.

A project to develop the southern sector of the canal will improve navigational safety and increase the number of ships that can use the vital link, he said.

Completion of a maritime safety and security system will also strengthen navigational and rescue services.

Resnick praised the efficiency of the Suez Canal Authority in managing the crisis that unfolded when the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground in 2021.

The accident “showed the whole world the importance of the canal, and its ability to deal with emergency situations and challenges,” she said.