US congressional delegation ends two-day visit to Egypt

Defence Minister General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi met on Sunday with United States Representative Dana Rohrabacher, head of the subcommittee of European and Asian Affairs in the Foreign Affairs Committee, who led an official congressional delegation to Egypt.
(Photo from Army Spokesman Facebook Page)

A delegation of five US representatives have ended their two-day visit to Egypt after meeting with interim President Adly Mansour and Minister of Defence General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi. The delegation was a routine visit following a successful referendum on the constitution.

The representatives, Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA),  Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Paul Cook (R-CA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Steve Stockman (R-TX) met with government officials as well as members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other “civic and religious leaders”, according to Mofid Deak, press attaché at the US Embassy in Cairo.

Deak said the visit was “a routine congress visit” that featured a general discussion with Egyptian leaders as well as staff at the embassy. Dana Rohrabacher, head of the subcommittee of European and Asian Affairs in the Foreign Affairs Committee and head of the delegation, met with Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi on Sunday.

Visits by US delegations to Egypt are fairly frequent. December’s latest visit featured representatives Steve King, Louis Gohmert and Michele Bachmann, who also met with Al-Sisi and Mansour.

January’s visit came shortly after Egypt successfully ratified its new constitution, the third since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in early February 2011. The constitution passed with 98.1% voters approving.

The US congress is also ready to resume military aid to Egypt after its suspension following the 3 July ouster of Mohamed Morsi.

Additional reporting by AbdelHalim H. AbdAllah