FM starts Washington visit with many meetings

The first day of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s Washington visit saw a flurry of activities.

The foreign minister had a prolonged radio interview with the morning show of the National Public Radio (NPR), during which he reviewed the latest Egyptian political developments and regional challenges, ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

Shoukry highlighted Egyptian-US strategic relations and the Egyptian view regarding domestic affairs, saying that the Egyptian government is dealing with human rights and democratic transition issues transparently, while respecting the law and separating between powers.

The foreign minister also met with influential figures in the American society which participated in a dialogue session organized by the Atlantic Council, the spokesman said.

Shoukry expounded Egypt’s stances regarding regional causes, mainly the situation in Libya, Syria and the nuclear deal with Iran.

He met with a delegation of American Jewish organizations to probe means to kick-start the Middle East peace process, the spokesman said.

The top Egyptian diplomat had a meeting with members of the Council on Foreign Relations on the economic developments in Egypt and the government’s efforts to improve the investment stage.

The meeting also took Egypt’s efforts during the democratic construction phase after the election of a new parliament.

Shoukry made a comprehensive assessment of the challenges in the Middle East and Egyptian efforts to fight terrorism.

The foreign minister had three meetings with the editorial boards of “The Wall Street Journal”, “The Washington Post” and “Foreign Policy.”

Source: MENA