UK MPs discuss Egypt roadmap with officials

During their visit to Egypt, a British delegation of UK parliamentarians reviewed Egypt’s roadmap in separate meetings with Defense Minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Interim President Adly Mansour, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim on Sunday.

The delegation’s request to meet with representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood was however turned down by the Organization of Arab Peoples and Parliaments, state-run daily newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

The organization said the meeting was out of the question as the Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist organization and that the UK, as a democracy, should not send its delegates to meet with members of terrorist groups.

During the meetings, the delegation discussed the steps Egypt is taking towards realizing its roadmap, according to a statement by the State Information Service, as well as discussing the country’s economic condition, the upcoming elections and the recently ratified constitution.

Mansour said the Egyptian people reject terrorism, adding that there will be no reconciliation with those “who have blood on their hands.”

Ibrahim reviewed the “positive steps taken by the police in cracking down on those committing terrorist acts and thwarting attempts to distort security and stability,” according to a statement by the Interior Ministry.  He reiterated the Ministry’s respect for freedom of peaceful expression and international human rights in dealing with “legal protests,” and boasted of the Ministry’s efforts in securing public institutions and tourist sites.

The British delegation condemned all forms of violence, as well as the targeting of police and innocent citizens, according to the statement.

On Saturday, the delegation also met with Amr Moussa, head of the 50-member committee that drafted the new constitution, to whom they emphasized the importance of protecting constitutional rights and freedoms.

According to state-run daily newspaper Al-Akhbar, the delegation is in Egypt at the invitation of business tycoon Mohamed Farid Khamis.