CAIRO: Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians abroad Mohamed Abdel-Hakam said that he had met during his recent visit to Washington with US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs, and the two discussed cooperation in all areas of consular relations between the two countries and cooperation in the judicial field, especially problems of nationals of both countries, in addition to examining the problems resulting from the custody of the children of mixed marriages between Egyptians and Americans. Abdal-Hakam pointed out that the issue of custody of children was included in his talks in Washington in an attempt to find “quick and positive solutions to overcome the problems and find full facilities of the right of the father or mother to see the children.” He pointed out that a number of issues with many Egyptian citizens in the US are needed to be discussed, in addition to easing the visa procedures for Egyptians to obtain American visas. The Assistant Foreign Minister added that the Americans promised to “provide all facilities for the granting of visas to Egyptian citizens and not to impose further action or prolong the period necessary for the issuance of visas,” pointing out that the reaction from the US side was “positive” towards this matter, especially in light of the “distinguished relations between Egypt and the United States.” He noted that the visit tackled the development of mechanisms for judicial cooperation between Egypt and the US and that there is “full judicial cooperation between the two countries,” adding that the two governments have signed a cooperation agreement in the consular area of the Ministry of Justice. In response to a question about the lawsuit filed by an American parent against the Egyptian government to demand to see his children, Abdal-Hakam said this issue attracted significant interest from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that he was keen to solve it personally, pointing out that the “father came to Egypt and saw his sons in October,” adding that there is an agreement signed between Egypt and the US in 2003, “to facilitate the right of parents and mothers to see their children if one of them has the right to the custody of the children.” He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays “special attention to the problems of Egyptians abroad, including in the United States of America [and] it is also keen to provide facilities to them through the Egyptian embassy in Washington and the four consulates in the United States. “The U.S. authorities allow the Consular Section of the Egyptian Embassy in Washington and the four consulates to visit Egyptian prisoners there at a time determined by the Egyptian diplomats,” he added, denying the existence of any hurdles which would prevent the consuls in the United States or their representatives in diplomatic missions to visit the prisoners, and there are regular visits from the Egyptian diplomatic missions in the US for prisoners, he argued. BM
