The US diplomat was in Cairo for a few hours on the first leg of a regional tour that will take him to other Middle Eastern countries, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday strongly condemned violence and acts of terror against civilians and security forces in Egypt, while lauding Egypt as a “vital partner” for the US.
“I stress the need for all violence and all acts of terror to come to an end,” Kerry told a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi.
The US diplomat was in Cairo for a few hours on the first leg of a regional tour that will take him to other Middle Eastern countries, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
His visit comes ahead of the trial of the country’s first elected civilian president Mohamed Morsi who was ousted by the powerful military on July 3.
Morsi faces charges of inciting the killing of demonstrators outside the presidential palace in December last year.
Kerry said Fahmi had emphasized during their talks the interim government’s commitment to the roadmap announced with Morsi’s ouster, which includes the amendment of the constitution and holding parliamentary and presidential elections within nine months.
He asserted that amending the constitution will define the road ahead for Egypt, but he repeatedly dwelt on the importance for economic development.
“The people of Egypt need to see the economy taking hold and improving the quality of their lives,” Kerry said.
Egypt’s economy has been going down a dangerous slope with growing turmoil in the populous Arab country.
A multibillion dollar aid package from rich Arab Gulf countries promises to keep Egypt afloat for some months, but economists insist the country cannot survive on aid alone.
Vital partner
Kerry said a recent US decision to partially withhold some American aid to Egypt was not a punishment, but came within the framework of American laws regarding the change of governments.
“I agreed with minister Fahmi that US-Egyptian relations cannot be identified by aid,” he insisted.
“There are much deeper issues that identify these relations.”
Kerry said US President Barack Obama worked hard to ensure that Egypt-US relations are not disrupted by the aid freeze.
The US decided last month to withhold around $260 million in aid to Egypt as well as some military deliveries.
Egypt receives around $1.3 billion in military and economic aid from the US every year.
Kerry said Egypt and the US would work together to ensure that bilateral relations retain the full measures of their past strengths.
“The United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner.”
He said the US will continue to have good faith in Egypt’s interim government until actions prove otherwise.
“We are committed to work and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government,” Kerry asserted.
Anatolia News Agency
