Egypt cancels Kushner meeting with minister after denial of aid
CAIRO: Egypt called off a scheduled meeting between its foreign minister and top USpresidential adviser Jared Kushner yesterday after the United States decided to withhold millions of dollars in aid.
But President Abdel Fattah alSisi would meet the USdelegation led by Kushner later in the day, Sisi’s office said.
Two USsources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Washington had decided to deny Egypt US$ 95.7 million in aid and to delay a further US$ 195 million because of its failure to make progress on respecting human rights and democratic norms.
“Egypt sees this measure as reflecting poor judgment of the strategic relationship that ties the two countries over long decades and as adopting a view that lacks an accurate understanding of the importance of supporting Egypt’s stability,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The decision could have “negative implications” on achieving common goals and interests between the two countries, it added.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had been scheduled to meet the USdelegation led by Kushner, a son-in-law to USPresident Donald Trump and a close adviser, yesterday in Cairo to discuss the Middle East.
But the meeting was cancelled immediately after the ministry released its statement, a copy of Shoukry’s schedule sent out to journalists showed. — Reuters