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Nick Oberheiden, US President Donald Trump’s nominee to become ambassador to Cairo, called Egypt the United States’ “largest export market in Africa” at his confirmation hearing (watch, runtime: 6:02) before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, adding that more than 2.1k US companies operate in the country. He also committed to “continue implementing the President’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza.”
Did he just flag sympathy for the GERD file? Oberheiden said he looked forward to working with the Egyptian government on the Nile, noting that “President Trump understands the deep significance of the Nile River for Egypt and its people, and if confirmed, I look forward to working with Foreign Minister Dr. Abdelatty and Water Minister Dr. Sewilam on this critical challenge.”
^^ The key there: Putting Abdelatty ahead of Sewilam is big. The mention of the file by Egyptian diplomats typically sees other Western embassies in Cairo wave their hands and change the subject.
Oberheiden also zeroed in on trade and investment opportunities for US companies, noting that the US has a trade surplus here and that he would “make America the obvious first choice and make sure US companies have every opportunity to compete and succeed.”
The clock is ticking: Democrats swept the US midterm elections and will take over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January. The committee is yet to vote on Oberheiden’s nomination, which has been pending since June.
BACKGROUND- Oberheiden is the founder and principal of Oberheiden P.C., a US federal litigation firm, and has practiced national security, federal, and international law for over a decade, according to the State Department’s certificate of competency. He was previously a litigator at White & Case in New York and has advised the State Department on policy questions as an outside legal consultant. He holds a law degree from Germany’s University of Hamburg and a JD from the University of California.
