US lawmakers meet top Egyptian officials

An American congressional delegation has visited Egypt to hold talks with its military-installed government officials just days after another team of US lawmakers concluded an official visit to the embattled country.

The American delegation, led by Virginia’s Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, held talks on Thursday with Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour and Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy, focusing on the long-running close bilateral relations days after Egyptian military chief Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi visited Russia to sign a major weapons purchase deal.

“President Mansour told Senator Kaine that Egypt was keen on relations with the United States and that to maintain these relations the United States should be keen as well,” according to a statement released Thursday by Egyptian presidential spokesperson Ihab Badawy.

“Egypt wanted the United States to understand what was happening in Egypt as we are fighting a real war against terrorism in Sinai and the rest of the country. It is important to find the friendly countries on Egypt’s side,” Badawy added.

Meanwhile, Senator Kaine, who is a member of US Senate’s Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, said on his official website that he held “substantive discussions” with Mansour, Fahmy and al-Sisi.

He further reported meetings with “youth leaders, opposition party members, civil society, and Egyptian business leaders.”

This is while a separate American congressional delegation met with al-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday as part of talks on US-Egypt ties and recent regional developments.