Kerry Meets with Egyptian Officials, Opposition
By Samira Arabi
Morocco News Tribune
Agadir, Morocco | U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday arrived in Egypt in order to meet with government officials and some opposition politicians in a period the country has witnessed political unrest and is a month away from controversial parliamentary elections, scheduled to begin in April.
Kerry’s visit as the new U.S. secretary of state was seen by some Egyptian opposition leaders as Washington‘s siding with Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood group.
“I’ve tried to make it clear, and I make it particularly clear now on behalf of President Obama and the American people that we come here as friends for the Egyptian people, not for one government or one person or one party or ideology, but for the Egyptian people,” Kerry said.
On the other hand, Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported that Secretary Kerry is trying to broker an agreement between Egypt’s rival politicians to form a national unity government.
“There must be a willingness on all sides to make meaningful compromises on the issues that matter most to the Egyptian people,” Kerry told reporters.
Secretary of State John Kerry said, while meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, that Egypt needs to revive its economy.
“It is paramount, essential, and urgent that the Egyptian economy get stronger, that it gets back on its feet,” Kerry said.
“We do believe that in this moment of serious economic challenge that it’s important for the Egyptian people to come together around the economic choices and to find some common ground,” he said after meeting Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr.
“We expect from friends, particularly from the United States, as a strategic partner to Egypt, to stand (by) Egypt during this period in the economic arena,” Amr added.