AN EGYPTIAN parliamentary delegation will visit Washington next week to discuss political and economic issues. Informed sources on Tuesday said an Egyptian parliamentary delegation will visit the US next week to discuss issues of mutual interest to both Egypt and America. Tarek Radwan, head of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters that the delegation will be led by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal. “The delegation is expected to leave Cairo next Friday for a one-week visit to the United States,” Radwan said. He said the visit will include meetings with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan and a number of American Congressional members. Ryan met President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Abdel-Aal during a visit to Cairo in April 2016. Radwan said “the complete details of the Egyptian parliamentary visit to the United States will be made public on Thursday — or one day before the visit.” Informed sources said the delegation is expected to include Radwan, Mohamed Al-Sewedi, head of the pro-government Support Egypt parliamentary bloc and Karim Salem, an independent MP. Sources said the visit is expected to cover important issues of major concern to both Egyptian and American politicians and lawmakers such as Egypt's new NGOs law, cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and whether the Muslim Brotherhood should be designated in America as a terrorist organisation. The US recently cut part of its economic and military assistance to Egypt after assessments by influential congressmen including former US presidential candidate John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham.
