CAIRO — Egypt prepares to open a naval base on the Mediterranean, near its border with Libya, as the populous country is trying to protect itself against unrest in the neighboring country, assert its control over its maritime boundaries and safeguard its economic interests.
Egyptian contractors have been constructing the new 3rd of July naval base in Gargoub, a little-known port town on Egypt's northwestern Mediterranean coast, roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Libyan border, for several years now.
