Egypt intelligence signs $1.2 million deal with US PR company

The Egyptian General Intelligence Services signed a new $1.2 million deal with US-based public relations firm APCO, days after its counterpart, Weber Shandwick, ended its contract, according to the US magazine PR Week.

The magazine reported that APCO will handle marketing of Egyptian-American strategic relationship in the media, with concerned stakeholders in the US and online.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding and lack of understanding of what going on in the region. Some of this [work] is about trying to make sure people have a clear picture of what Egypt is doing with its relationship with the US, especially the opportunities right now for economic development and tourism,” said APCO’s founder and executive chairman Margery Kraus, adding that “Egypt has an interesting story to tell.”

In February, the US Justice Department announced that Egypt's intelligence services signed a contract with Cassidy & Associates, placing them on retainers of $50,000–$100,000 per month, as well as Weber Shandwick’s deal for $100,000 monthly.

Weber Shandwick, however, terminated its contract with Egypt days after The Atlantic published a detailed report criticizing the Egyptian government’s infamous human rights record. The investigation specifically criticized “the firm’s decision to do business with a foreign-intelligence service known for torture and repression, one that has been instrumental to Sisi’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups.”