In his first visit to Egypt since the ouster of former President Mohammad Mursi, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday his country is committed to working with interim government in Cairo.
In his first visit to Egypt since the ouster of former President Mohammad Mursi, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday his country is committed to working with interim government in Cairo.
On the eve of the opening of Mursi's trial, Kerry was in Cairo to shore up ties with a key ally and ensure it moves ahead on pl
ans to restore democracy, just weeks after Washington partly suspended aid to Egypt.
"We are committed to work with and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government," Kerry told a joint news conference with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, urging "inclusive, free and fair elections".
"The United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner," he stressed.
Kerry also played down Washington's suspension of part of its $1.5 billion in annual aid to Cairo, denying the decision had been taken to punish Egypt's military leaders and saying it "is a very small issue between us".
"US-Egyptian relations should not be defined by assistance," Kerry said, adding direct aid would continue to help Egyptians in areas such as health and education and to aid "counter terrorism" efforts.
In a move that angered Cairo, Washington last month said it was "recalibrating" its aid to Egypt, including about $1.3 billion for military assistance, and suspending delivery of big-ticket items like Apache helicopters and F-16 aircraft.
