The US ambassador to Egypt expressed hope on Monday that future relations between Egypt and the United States would be "positive and promising". Ambassador Stephen Beecroft told state news agency MENA that any bilateral relationship has its ups and downs, adding that Egyptian-American relations cannot be assessed over weeks or months. Ties between US and Egypt soured after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The US suspended its military aid to Egypt, only restoring it last month. On Sunday, a US education initiative was launched to offer over 1,900 scholarships in American universities to Egyptian students. The initiative, with a total fund of $250 million, also supports up to 20 partnerships between Egyptian and American universities. Beecroft said that the initiative confirmed US commitment to Egypt's future. US president Barack Obama has said that he would continue to request $1.3 billion in annual military assistance to Egypt from Congress. Starting in 2018, however, Egypt will no longer be allowed to acquire defense systems with payments scheduled over a longer period of time. Source: Ahram Online
