Egypt Leader meets US ambassador

Chairman of the Egyptian Armed Forces Supreme Council Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi met here today with U.S. Ambassador in Cairo Anne Patterson, . Talks during the meeting dealt with a number of topics and issues of common interest and ways to enhance relations between the two countries. It is noteworthy that the new U.S. Ambassador provoked angry official and popular Egyptian reactions after she announced that her country has provided $ 40 million to some political movements and civil society organizations in Egypt since the eruption of the January 25 revolution. Official authorities in Egypt and most of the political currents have rejected the provision of any US or foreign funding to civil society organizations and considered it as something affecting the country''s national security. US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman recognized in a statement he gave on Sunday the existence of differences with Cairo over his country''s funding of some of the political movements and civil society organizations in Egypt, stressing at the same time that the US does not want to intervene in Egypt''s affairs. Meanwhile an Egyptian government source confirmed the country''s keenness on the partnership with world countries including the United States on the basis of mutual respect adding "however, we want to ensure that foreign aid be subject to Egyptian law, a matter agreed upon by the political powers."