Sisi meets US Congress delegation

The head of Egypt’s military, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, met with members of the US Congress on Sunday.

The delegation was led by Steve King, a Republican representative for Iowa and head of the rights and civil freedoms subcommittee.

Discussions centered on bilateral relations, according to state news agency MENA, and were attended by members of the military leadership, as well as representatives from the US Embassy in Cairo.

The delegation and US Charge d’Affaires David Satterfield also met with interim President Adly Mansour.

Presidential spokesperson Ihab Badawi said on Sunday that the delegation values Egypt’s new draft constitution and call for a national referendum, according to state-owned portal Egynews.

The delegation praised the inclusion of a new article allowing the Egyptian people to remove the president in case of high treason or lack of commitment to the country’s constitution, stressing that such provisions would protect the people from the immoderation of the previous regime.

Badawi added that the delegation promised Mansour that the US will support the will of the Egyptian people in this critical stage of the interim road map, stressing that such support will not be limited to economics, but will also include the resumption of military aid to Egypt in support of its “war against terrorism.”

President Mansour emphasized Egypt’s desire to maintain good relations with the United States, but stressed that Washington’s recent policies on the region have made many of its allies question the future of this relationship.

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Uzra Zeya, also arrived in Egypt for a  two-day visit, Ahram Gate reported late Sunday.

Representatives from the US Embassy in Cairo welcomed the official at the airport.