EGX in red in midday trade on Tuesday    Egyptian pound extends gains against USD by midday trade    Egypt issues nearly 20 million digital treatment approvals as health insurance digitalisation accelerates    Pakistan FM warns against fake news, details Iran-Israel de-escalation role    Russia seeks mediator role in Mideast, balancing Iran and Israel ties    LTRA, Rehla Rides forge public–private partnership for smart transport    Egyptian government reviews ICON's development plan for 7 state-owned hotels    Divisions on show as G7 tackles Israel-Iran, Russia-Ukraine wars    Egyptian government, Elsewedy discuss expanding cooperation in petroleum, mining sectors    Electricity Minister discusses enhanced energy cooperation with EIB, EU delegations    Egypt, IFC explore new investment avenues    EHA, Konecta explore strategic partnership in digital transformation, smart healthcare    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt nuclear authority: No radiation rise amid regional unrest    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt delays Grand Museum opening to Q4 amid regional tensions    Egypt slams Israeli strike on Iran, warns of regional chaos    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's EDA joins high-level Africa-Europe medicines regulatory talks    US Senate clears over $3b in arms sales to Qatar, UAE    Egypt discusses urgent population, development plan with WB    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Egypt, Serbia explore cultural cooperation in heritage, tourism    Egypt discovers three New Kingdom tombs in Luxor's Dra' Abu El-Naga    Egypt launches "Memory of the City" app to document urban history    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



When will El-Sisi visit Washington?
Since his election victory, commentators have been asking when Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi will visit Washington and under what circumstances
Published in Ahram Online on 16 - 06 - 2014

Washington is the most important capital for Egyptian political forces. Washington, which has had reservations about what has happened in Egypt since 3 July in spite of its acceptance of the new reality. Washington, which froze military assistance in a failed attempt to exert pressure on the Egyptian military. Washington, whose President stated that its relationship with Egypt would not return to what it had been before and ordered a comprehensive revision of the mutual relationship. Washington was targeted repeatedly by the Egyptian and other Arab governments to improve the image of the new Egyptian regime.
When president Mohamed Morsi was elected, President Obama phoned him immediately after the result was announced and he also phoned the defeated candidate Ahmed Shafiq. After announcing the last presidential election result, the White House issued a statement that did not express, in the opinion of this writer, American happiness at the result. The statement mentioned that the US is looking forward to working with Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to enhance a strategic partnership and common interests and that Obama intends to talk with El-Sisi in the coming days.
I think there are only two cases that would allow El-Sisi to visit the American capital:
The first case is if Obama officially invites El-Sisi for a visit. But Obama might not have forgotten that El-Sisi has ignored a number of his requests, which include reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and not to use force to disperse the sit-ins in Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Nahda squares.
The second case is more likely and begins with an American invitation to El-Sisi to attend the US-African Leaders Summit, which will be held in August. However, this visit depends on African standpoints and not on American ones.
On 5-6 August, Obama will meet with African presidents and kings during a summit, the first of its kind to tackle issues of trade, investment and security in Africa.
Until now the list of those invited does not include Egypt. Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, mentioned when invitations were sent out in January that "Egypt is not among the countries invited to participate in the Africa Summit which will be held next August in Washington due to the suspension of its membership at the African Union after the deposing of former President Mohamed Morsi.”
Washington can evade embarrassment by waiting for the AU to change its stand before inviting El-Sisi. But this is not certain. Until now, it is not definite that the African Union will invite Egypt since the AU has not yet recognised El-Sisi's election victory because he "is one of those who made undemocratic changes" according to AU criteria. It is well known that the AU sent 45 observers to monitor the presidential election. The next AU summit will be held in Equatorial Guinea later this month and it may review the Egyptian issue.
I think Washington is well aware of El-Sisi's ambiguous relationship with Washington. It started with a severe attack in the Washington Post last August with El-Sisi accusing the Obama administration of ignoring the Egyptian people's will and not providing the needed support amid the threat of civil war. El-Sisi said the USA "left Egyptians alone" in the crisis and "turned its back on Egyptians," adding that "Egyptians will not forget this from America" and he wondered "Will the USA continue to turn its back on the Egyptians?"
Then El-Sisi made an extraordinary visit to Russia amid news of weapons deal with Egypt. When El-Sisi returned he described the relationship with the USA as strategic, stable and steady, adding that he understood the American logic regarding the freezing of the military assistance after the events of 3 July.
"We need the American support in combating terrorism. We need American equipment to use it in combating terrorism," El-Sisi told Reuters.
Washington is well aware that it cannot afford to threaten its relationship with El-Sisi, so it will deal with the new president realistically. This is simply because the US perception of its vital objectives from its relationship with Egypt does not include democracy. However, the president's visit in the Egyptian case has intertwined calculations. One of these is that Washington is the capital president Morsi sought to visit many times but Washington refused.
Washington knew that Morsi wanted to visit for several reasons. A presidential statement was issued mentioning that President Morsi would visit Washington at the end of his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly meetings during September 2012. Then an Egyptian presidential statement said Morsi would visit in December 2012, which also did not take place. Afterwards Morsi himself said to CNN he would visit Washington before the end of March 2013, this also did not materialise. The American administration saw it enough to send indirect messages showing that his visit was unwelcome.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/103779.aspx


Clic here to read the story from its source.